The Ureter in the Kidney Transplant Setting: Ureteroneocystostomy Surgical Options, Double-J Stent Considerations and Management of Related Complications

Current management of symptomatic vesicoureteral reflux in pediatric kidney transplantation-A European survey among surgical transplant professionals

BACKGROUND

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is common in children and adolescents undergoing kidney transplantation (KTx) and may adversely affect allograft kidney function.

METHODS

To explore the current management of symptomatic native and allograft VUR in pediatric KTx recipients, an online survey was distributed to European surgical transplant professionals.

RESULTS

Surgeons from 40 pediatric KTx centers in 18 countries participated in this survey. Symptomatic native kidney VUR was treated before or during KTx by 68% of the centers (all/selected patients: 33%/67%; before/during KTx: 89%/11%), with a preference for endoscopic treatment (59%). At KTx, 90% favored an anti-reflux ureteral reimplantation procedure (extravesical/transvesical approach: 92%/8%; preferred extravesical technique: Lich-Gregoir [85%]). Management strategies for symptomatic allograft VUR included surgical repair (90%), continuous antibiotic prophylaxis (51%), bladder training (49%), or noninterventional surveillance (21%). Redo ureteral implantation and endoscopic intervention for allograft VUR were equally reported (51%/49%).

CONCLUSIONS

This survey shows uniformity in some surgical aspects of the pediatric KTx procedure. However, with regard to VUR, there is a significant variation in practice patterns that need to be addressed by future well-designed and prospective studies. In this way, more robust data could be translated into consensus guidelines for a more standardized and evidence-based management of this common condition in pediatric KTx.

Antistricture Ureteral Stents with a Braided Composite Structure and Surface Modification with Antistenosis Drugs

The present work describes the development of a drug-loaded ureteral stent with antistricture function based on a trilayer design in which the middle layer was braided from biodegradable poly(p-dioxanone) (PDO) monofilament. Antistenosis drugs rapamycin and paclitaxel were loaded into a silk fibroin (SF) solution and coated on the inner and outer layers of the braided PDO stent. The cumulative release of rapamycin and paclitaxel was sustained over 30 days, with a total release above 80%. The drug-loaded ureteral stents inhibited the proliferation of fibroblasts and smooth muscle cells in vitro. Subcutaneous implantation in rats showed that the drug-loaded ureteral stents were biocompatible with durable mechanical properties in vivo, revealing the inhibition of an excessive growth of fibroblasts and excessive deposition of collagen fibers. In conclusion, the dual-drug-loaded biodegradable ureteral stents show the possibility for treatment of ureteral strictures and avoid the occurrence of complications such as inflammation and restricture.

Ureterovesical Leak Following Renal Transplant and Effects of Acute Rejection and Antirejection Therapy: A Nested Case-Control Analysis and Outcome of 1102 Consecutive Renal Transplant Recipients

OBJECTIVES

Studies on nontechnical risk factors for ureterovesical leak after renal transplant are scarce. This study aimed to report the possible pre- and postoperative risk factors and the role of acute rejection and antirejection therapies for urine leak after transplant and its effect on graft and patient survival.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 13 patients (1.17%) with urine leak (case group) and 52 patients without leak (control group) (case-to-control ratio of 1:4) from 1102 living related (first degree) renal transplant recipients seen between January 2012 and December 2021. We analyzed demographic and clinical details and biochemical and outcome parameters using a nested case-control design.

RESULTS

Cases were olderthan controls (P = .018), were more ABO incompatible (P = .009), and had more 6/6 HLA mismatch transplants (P = .047). Donors of cases were older than donors of controls (P = .049). The rate of postoperative hypoalbuminemia was greaterin the case group (P = .050). Rates of acute rejection (P = .012) and plasmapheresis (P = .003) were greaterin the case group than in the control group. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, recipient age, 6/6 HLA mismatch, and plasmapheresis were found to independently associated with urine leak. None ofthe patient required surgical repair, as all responded to conservative therapy. Urine leak did not affect graft outcomes (P = .324), but overall survival was less in cases than in controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Nontechnical risk factors that cause posttransplant ureteric leak include older donor and recipient age and ABO incompatible and 6/6 HLA mismatch transplants. Acute rejection and plasmapheresis predispose leak, and an indwelling double J stent can allow adequate healing of the anastomosis. High index of suspicion and prompt management are imperative to preserve graft and patient outcome.

The Allium Ureteral Stent for the Treatment of Ureteral Complications Following Renal Transplantation-A Single-Center, Single-Surgeon Series

Ureteral complications such as urinary leak, ureteral necrosis or ureteral stenosis are common complications after renal transplantation with major short- and long-term issues, including graft impairment and graft loss. At present, there is no agreement on the optimal management of ureteral complications. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the self-expanding, large-caliber Allium ureteral stent in patients with ureteral complications following renal transplantation. In this retrospective study, the electronic database of Charité University Hospital was screened for patients receiving the self-expandable Allium ureteral stent in the transplant ureter after kidney transplantation between January 2016 and March 2022. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the outcomes. There were six men and four women with a median age of 61 years (interquartile range, 55 to 68 years). Nine out of 10 patients had ureteric stenosis, which was diagnosed at a median of two years (interquartile range 10 months to 9 years) following renal transplantation. The median operating time was 49 min (interquartile range, 30 to 60 min). Endoscopic Allium stent placement was successful in all patients with ureteric stenosis. The median length of stay in the hospital was four days (interquartile range 2 to 7 days). Only one patient (#5) had a postoperative grade IIIb Clavien-Dindo complication. Patients had follow-ups every 3 months with ultrasound and serum creatinine. Dislocation of the Allium stent was seen in four patients; all occurred within three months. Ultimately, three patients required ureteric re-implantation, two of which had early dislocation of the stent. Six patients are managed with a permanent Allium stent. The median dwell time was 11 months (interquartile range 3 to 20 months) and maximum dwell time was 23 months. The overall success rate was 60% (6 out of 10). According to our data, the Allium stent represents a safe and minimally invasive option with a success rate of 60%. It might, therefore, represent an alternative to DJ stents, nephrostomies or immediate re-implantation. As all dislocations occurred within three months, frequent early postoperative follow-up is required.

Detection of microbial biofilms inside the lumen of ureteral stents: two case reports

BACKGROUND

We report large biofilm structures that covered almost the entirety of the lumen and surface of double-J stents in two postrenal transplant patients, with no development of urinary tract infection. Biofilm bacteria of one patient were integrated by coccus in a net structure, whereas overlapping cells of bacilli were present in the other patient. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that high-quality images of the architecture of noncrystalline biofilms have been found inside double-J stents from long-term stenting in renal transplant recipients.

CASE PRESENTATION

Two renal transplant recipients, a 34-year-old male and a 39-year-old female of Mexican-Mestizo origin, who underwent a first renal transplant and lost it due to allograft failure, had a second transplant. Two months after the surgical procedure, double-J stents were removed and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). None of the patients had an antecedent of UTI, and none developed UTI after urinary device removal. There were no reports of injuries, encrustation, or discomfort caused by these devices.

CONCLUSION

The bacterial biofilm inside the J stent from long-term stenting in renal transplant recipients was mainly concentrated on unique bacteria. Biofilm structures from the outside and inside of stents do not have crystalline phases. Internal biofilms may represent a high number of bacteria in the double-J stent, in the absence of crystals.

Ureterovesical Anastomosis Complications in Kidney Transplantation: Definition, Risk Factor Analysis, and Prediction by Quantitative Fluorescence Angiography with Indocyanine Green

Ureteral stenosis and urinary leakage are relevant problems after kidney transplantation. A standardized definition of ureterovesical anastomosis complications after kidney transplantation has not yet been established. This study was designed to demonstrate the predictive power of quantitative indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence angiography. This bicentric historic cohort study, conducted between November 2015 and December 2019, included 196 kidney transplantations. The associations between quantitative perfusion parameters of near-infrared fluorescence angiography with ICG and the occurrence of different grades of ureterovesical anastomosis complications in the context of donor, recipient, periprocedural, and postoperative characteristics were evaluated. Post-transplant ureterovesical anastomosis complications occurred in 18%. Complications were defined and graded into three categories. They were associated with the time on dialysis (p = 0.0025), the type of donation (p = 0.0404), and the number of postoperative dialysis sessions (p = 0.0173). Median ICG ingress at the proximal ureteral third was 14.00 (5.00–33.00) AU in patients with and 23.50 (4.00–117.00) AU in patients without complications (p = 0.0001, cutoff: 16 AU, sensitivity 70%, specificity 70%, AUC = 0.725, p = 0.0011). The proposed definition and grading of post-transplant ureterovesical anastomosis complications is intended to enable valid comparisons between studies. ICG Fluorescence angiography allows intraoperative quantitative assessment of ureteral microperfusion during kidney transplantation and is able to predict the incidence of ureterovesical anastomosis complications. Registration number: NCT-02775838.

Pearls and Pitfalls in Pediatric Kidney Transplantation After 5 Decades

Worldwide, over 1,300 pediatric kidney transplantations are performed every year. Since the first transplantation in 1959, healthcare has evolved dramatically. Pre-emptive transplantations with grafts from living donors have become more common. Despite a subsequent improvement in graft survival, there are still challenges to face. This study attempts to summarize how our understanding of pediatric kidney transplantation has developed and improved since its beginnings, whilst also highlighting those areas where future research should concentrate in order to help resolve as yet unanswered questions. Existing literature was compared to our own data of 411 single-center pediatric kidney transplantations between 1968 and 2020, in order to find discrepancies and allow identification of future challenges. Important issues for future care are innovations in immunosuppressive medication, improving medication adherence, careful donor selection with regard to characteristics of both donor and recipient, improvement of surgical techniques and increased attention for lower urinary tract dysfunction and voiding behavior in all patients.

Case Report: Successful ABO-Incompatible Deceased Donor Kidney Transplantation in an Infant Without Pre-transplant Immunological Treatment

ABO blood group antibodies have not been generated or are at low titer during early infancy. Therefore, in theory, ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation (ABOi KT) may be successfully achieved in small infants without any pre-transplant treatment. We report here the first ABO-incompatible deceased donor kidney transplantation (ABOi DDKT) in an infant. The recipient infant was ABO blood group O, and the donor group A. The recipient was diagnosed with a Wilms tumor gene 1 (WT1) mutation and had received peritoneal dialysis for 4 months prior to transplant. At 7 months and 27 days of age, the infant underwent bilateral native nephrectomy and single-kidney transplantation from a 3-year-old brain-dead donor. No pre- or post-transplantation antibody removal treatment was performed, since the recipient's anti-iso-hemagglutinin-A Ig-M/G antibody titers were both low (1:2) before transplantation and have remained at low levels or undetectable to date. At 11 months post-transplant, the recipient is at home, thriving, with normal development and graft function. This outcome suggests that ABOi DDKT without antibody removal preparatory treatment is feasible in small infants, providing a new option for kidney transplantation in this age range.

Urinary Tract Infections in the First 6 Months after Renal Transplantation

Purpose

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are common in the first 6 months after renal transplantation, and there are only limited data about UTIs after transplantation in Saudi Arabia in general.

Methods

A retrospective study from January 2017 to May 2020 with 6-month follow-up.

Results

279 renal transplant recipients were included. Mean age was 43.4 ± 16.0 years, and114 (40.9%) were women. Urinary stents were inserted routinely during transplantation and were removed 35.3 ± 28 days postoperatively. Ninety-seven patients (35%) developed urinary tract infections (UTIs) in the first six months after renal transplantation. Of those who developed the first episode of UTI, the recurrence rates were 57%, 27%, and 14% for having one, two, or three recurrences, respectively. Late urinary stent removals, defined as more than 21 days postoperatively, tended to have more UTIs (OR: 1.43, P: 0.259, CI: 0.76–2.66). Age >40, female gender, history of neurogenic bladder, and transplantation abroad were statistically significant factors associated with UTIs and recurrence. Diabetes, level of immunosuppression, deceased donor renal transplantation, pretransplant residual urine volume, or history of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) was not associated with a higher incidence of UTIs. UTIs were asymptomatic in 60% but complicated with bacteremia in 6% of the cases. Multidrug resistant organisms (MDROs) were the causative organisms in 42% of cases, and in-hospital treatment was required in about 50% of cases. Norfloxacin + Bactrim DD (160/800 mg) every other day was not associated with the lower risk of developing UTIs compared to the standard prophylaxis daily Bactrim SS (80/400 mg).

Conclusion

UTIs and recurrence are common in the first 6 months after renal transplantation. Age >40, female gender, neurogenic bladder, and transplantation abroad are associated with the increased risk of UTIs and recurrence. MDROs are common causative organisms, and hospitalization is frequently required. Dual prophylactic antibiotics did not seem to be advantageous over the standard daily Bactrim.

Robot-assisted kidney transplantation is a safe alternative approach for morbidly obese patients with end-stage renal disease

BACKGROUND

Many centres deny obese patients with a body mass index (BMI) >35 access to kidney transplantation due to increased intraoperative and postoperative complications.

METHODS

From August 2017 to December 2019, 73 consecutive cases of kidney transplantation in morbidly obese patients were enrolled at a single university at the initiation of a robotic transplant surgery program. Outcomes of patients who underwent robotic assisted kidney transplant (RAKT) were compared to frequency-matched patients undergoing open kidney transplant (OKT).

RESULTS

A total of 24 morbidly obese patients successfully underwent RAKT, and 49 obese patients received an OKT. The RAKT group developed fewer surgical site infections (SSI) than the OKT group. Graft function, creatinine, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were similar between groups 1 year after surgery. Graft and patient survival were 100% for both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

RAKT offers a safe alternative for morbidly obese patients, who may otherwise be denied access to OKT.

Association Between the Placement of a Double-J Catheter and the Risk of Urinary Tract Infection in Renal Transplantation Recipients: A Retrospective Cohort Study of 1038 Patients

BACKGROUND

The incidence of urinary complications in transplantation is 2% to 20%, which can be decreased with the use of a double-J catheter. The objective of this study was to determine the association between the use of the catheter and the probability of urinary tract infection (UTI).

METHODS

We studied a retrospective cohort of 1038 patients divided into 2 groups: those treated with vs without a double-J catheter. Perioperative factors related to catheter use were analyzed. Second, whether the use of the catheter was associated with fewer other urinary complications was analyzed.

RESULTS

Of the whole sample, 72 patients were eliminated from the study, and 358 (37%) received a double-J catheter. UTIs occurred in 190 patients (19.6%), of whom a greater proportion received a catheter: 88 of 358 (24.6%) vs 102 of 608 (16.8%) (odds ratio, 1.61; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-2.22; P = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

The placement of a double-J catheter during transplant is associated with a higher proportion of UTIs, increasing their severity and the cost of care, without having a clear effect on other types of urinary complications.

The Impact of Timing of Stent Removal on the Incidence of UTI, Recurrence, Symptomatology, Resistance, and Hospitalization in Renal Transplant Recipients

Purpose

To evaluate the impact of early (<3 weeks) versus late (>3 weeks) urinary stent removal on urinary tract infections (UTIs) post renal transplantation.

Methods

A retrospective study was performed including all adult renal transplants who were transplanted between January 2017 and May 2020 with a minimum of 6-month follow-up at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results

A total of 279 kidney recipients included in the study were stratified into 114 in the early stent removal group (ESR) and 165 in the late stent removal group (LSR). Mean age was 43.4 ± 15.8; women: n: 114, 40.90%; and deceased donor transplant: n: 55, 19.70%. Mean stent removal time was 35.3 ± 28.0 days posttransplant (14.1 ± 4.6 days in the ESR versus 49.9 ± 28.1 days in LSR, p < 0.001). Seventy-four UTIs were diagnosed while the stents were in vivo or up to two weeks after the stent removal “UTIs related to the stent” (n = 20, 17.5% in ESR versus n = 54, 32.7% in LSR; p=0.006). By six months after transplantation, there were 97 UTIs (n = 36, 31.6% UTIs in ESR versus n = 61, 37% in LSR; p=0.373). Compared with UTIs diagnosed after stent removal, UTIs diagnosed while the stent was still in vivo tended to be complicated (17.9% versus 4.9%, p: 0.019), recurrent (66.1% versus 46.3%; p: 0.063), associated with bacteremia (10.7% versus 0%; p: 0.019), and requiring hospitalization (61% versus 24%, p: 0.024). Early stent removal decreased the need for expedited stent removal due to UTI reasons (rate of UTIs before stent removal) (n = 11, 9% in the early group versus n = 45, 27% in the late group; p=0.001). The effect on the rate of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) was less clear (33% versus 47%, p: 0.205). Early stent removal was associated with a statistically significant reduction in the incidence of UTIs related to the stent (HR = 0.505, 95% CI: 0.302-0.844, p=0.009) without increasing the incidence of urological complications. Removing the stent before 21 days posttransplantation decreased UTIs related to stent (aOR: 0.403, CI: 0.218-0.744). Removing the stent before 14 days may even further decrease the risk of UTIs (aOR: 0.311, CI: 0.035- 2.726).

Conclusion

Early ureteric stent removal defined as less than 21 days post renal transplantation reduced the incidence of UTIs related to stent without increasing the incidence of urological complications. UTIs occurring while the ureteric stent still in vivo were notably associated with bacteremia and hospitalization. A randomized trial will be required to further determine the best timing for stent removal.

Enhanced Recovery after Renal Transplantation Decreases Recipients' Urological Complications and Hospital Stay: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The objective of this study was to compare enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) against traditional perioperative care for renal transplant recipients. Outcome measures included complications, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, graft and patient survival up to one-year post-transplant. We initially screened Medline, Cochrane, Scopus, Embase and Web of Science databases. We identified 3029 records. From these, 114 full texts were scrutinized for inclusion. Finally, 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis corresponding to 2037 renal transplant recipients. ERAS resulted in lower incidence of urological complications (95CI: 0.276, 0.855) (I² = 53.08%) compared to traditional perioperative practice. This referred to ureteric stenoses (95CI: 0.186–0.868) (I² = 0%) and urinary tract infections (95CI: 0.230–0.978) (I² = 71.55%). ERAS decreased recipients’ LOS (95CI: −2.876, −0.835) (I² = 86.55%). Compared to standard practice, ERAS protocols did not increase unplanned readmissions (95CI:0.800, 1.680) (I² = 0%). Up to one-year post-transplant, graft survival rates were similar across the ERAS and the control groups (95CI:0.420, 1.722) (I² = 0%). There was also no difference in recipients’ one-year post-transplant survival (95CI:0.162, 3.586) (I² = 0%). Our results suggest that ERAS protocols can be safely incorporated in the perioperative care of renal transplant recipients, decrease their urological complications and shorten their length of hospital stay without affecting unplanned readmission rates.

Urological Complications in Kidney Transplant Recipients: Analysis of the Risk Factors and Impact on Transplant Outcomes in the Era of “Extended Criteria Donors”

Urological complications (UC) following kidney transplantation (KT) are associated with increased morbidity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the risk factors for UC in the era of “extended criteria donors” (ECD) and their impact on patient and graft survivals. A retrospective monocentric study of all patients undergoing KT from 2010 to 2019 with a follow-up ≥30 days was performed. Out of 459 patients (males: 296 (64.5%); age: 57 (19–77) years) enrolled, 228 (49.7%) received ECD organs, moreover, 166 (67.2%) grafts had a cold ischemia time ≥10 h. UCs were reported in 32 (7%) patients. In 21 (65.6%) cases UC occurred within 3 months post-KT and 24 (5.2%) were associated with early urinary tract infection (UTI). The overall 5 year patient and graft survival rates were 96.5% and 90.6%, respectively. UC decreased graft survival (UC-group: 75.0% vs. noUC-group: 91.8%, p < 0.001), especially if associated with early UTI (UC-group: 71.4% vs. noUC-group: 77.8%, p < 0.001). At multivariate analysis, early UTI after KT (OR: 9.975, 95%-IC: 2.934–33.909, p < 0.001) and delayed graft function (DGF) (OR: 3.844, 95%-IC: 1.328–11.131, p: 0.013) were significant risk factors for UC, while ECD graft did not increase the risk of post-transplant UC. ECD grafts are not associated with UC. DGF and early UTI post-KT increase the risks of UC and reduce graft survival in the long-term. Therefore, aggressive management of early post-transplant UTI and strategies to reduce DGF incidence, such as machine preservation, are essential to prevent UC after KT.

Identifying Early Extraperitoneal High-Volume Urine Leak Post Kidney Transplantation

Transplant clinicians need to be watchful of several potential surgical complications in the early post-transplant period, including haemorrhage, extraperitoneal urine leak, and lymphocele. While haemorrhage and extraperitoneal urine leak usually present in the early post kidney transplant period, lymphoceles usually present 2–6 weeks after transplantation. While the colour and volume of the drained fluid can give some indication of the problem, is not enough evidence for a confident urine leak diagnosis. Further investigations, such as serum biochemical parameter analysis of the drained fluid and ultrasonography, help to identify the true cause. This paper discusses how to identify high-volume extraperitoneal urine leaks in the early post kidney transplant period and considers the differential diagnoses. Different ureteroneocystostomy procedures, including the Lich–Grégoir, Politano–Leadbetter, and U-stitch techniques, are discussed and compared regarding complication rates (especially urine leak and haematuria). The authors also address the management of low- and high-volume extraperitoneal urine leak, the follow-up needed, and the impact of urine leak on graft and patient survival, length of hospital stay, and rate of hospital readmission.

In vivo assessment of biodegradable magnesium alloy ureteral stents in a pig model

Today, ureteral stent technology is making progress towards the reduction of complications and patient discomfort. Therefore, magnesium alloys have become excellent candidate materials for manufacturing ureteral stents due to their biodegradability and antibacterial activity. Built on our previous work on biodegradable magnesium alloys, this article reports a semisolid rheo-formed magnesium implant that displays degradability and biocompatibility in vivo, and feasibility as ureteral stents in a pig model. Refined non-dendritic microstructure was observed in the rheo-formed alloy, whose grain size and shape factor were ca. 25.2 μm and ca. 1.56 respectively. Neither post-interventional inflammation nor pathological changes were observed in the urinary system during the implantation period of 14 weeks, and the degradation profile (14 weeks) meets the common requirement for the indwelling time of ureteral stents (8 to 16 weeks). Furthermore, histopathological observation and urinalysis results confirmed that the alloy had significantly higher antibacterial activity than the medical-grade stainless steel control. To our knowledge, this is the first in vivo study of biodegradable magnesium alloy as urinary implants in large animal models. Our results demonstrate that magnesium alloys may be a reasonable option for manufacturing biodegradable ureteral stents.

Outcomes and surgical complications following living-donor renal transplantation using kidneys retrieved with trans-peritoneal or retro-peritoneal hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy

The best minimally invasive procedure for living-donor kidney retrieval remains debated. Our objective was to assess trans-peritoneal (TP) and retro-peritoneal (RP) hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN). In this single-center retrospective study, we analyzed results from 317 living-donor renal transplants (RT) performed between 2008 and 2016. Donor and recipient outcomes were compared between TP-HALDN (n = 235) and RP-HALDN (n = 82). Conversion to open nephrectomy (0.4% vs 0%; P = 1.000), intra-operative complications (1.7% vs 1.2%; P = 1.000), and 1-year overall post-operative complications (11.9% vs 17.1%; P = .258) rates were similar in TP-HALDN and RP-HALDN. Overall surgical site infections were higher in RP-HALDN (6.1% vs 1.7%; P = .053), whereas incisional hernias were only recorded following TP-HALDN (3.4% vs 0%; P = .118). The duration of the procedure was 11-minute shorter for TP-HALDN than RP-HALDN (P < .001) but extraction time was equivalent (2, IQR 1.5-2.5 minutes; P = 1.000). RT following TP-HALDN and RP-HALDN showed comparable one-year death-censored allograft survival (97% vs 98.8%; P = .685), primary non-function (0.4% vs 0%; P = .290), delayed graft function (1.3% vs 4.9%; P = .077), and urological complications (2.6% vs 4.9%; P = .290) rates. In our series, donor and recipient outcomes were not substantially affected by the approach used for donor nephrectomy. TP-HALDN and RP-HALDN were both safe and effective.