Novel Management of Complicated Renal Artery Aneurysm: Laparoscopic Nephrectomy and Ex-Vivo Repair with Heterotopic Autotransplant

Indications for and results of renal autotransplantation

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To understand the indications and outcomes of renal autotransplantation, and when to consider this unique procedure for patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

Renal autotransplantation confers acceptably low rates of graft failure and prevents need for long-term dialysis. Renal autotransplantation remains an important management strategy in very select patients for complex renovascular disease, ureteral stricture disease, ureteral trauma, upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma, renal cell carcinoma, and Loin-Pain Hematuria Syndrome. With advancements in minimally invasive procedures, the application of renal autotransplantation for refractory stone disease is rare but exists. Robot-assisted laparoscopic renal autotransplantation demonstrates reproducible graft success and complication rates with improved perioperative outcomes (ex. hospital length of stay) - though comparative studies are lacking. Patients would benefit from a multidisciplinary approach from renal transplant surgeons, vascular surgeons, urologists, nephrologists, dieticians, pain management providers, social workers, and psychiatrists.

SUMMARY

In experienced hands, renal autotransplantation is a reasonable treatment approach for complex and refractory renal vascular disease, Loin-Pain Hematuria Syndrome, ureteral strictures and trauma, upper urinary tract malignancy, and stone disease in highly select patients.

Kidney Autotransplantation for Renal Artery Aneurysm: Case Series and a Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES

Renal artery aneurysm (RAA) is a rare vascular disease. Kidney autotransplantation (KAT) is the treatment option when endovascular approach is not available. However, the evidence on KAT for RAA is mostly limited to small case series or reports. Here, we describe our 2 center experience of KAT for RAA, and provide the results of our systematic literature review to evaluate the outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective 2 center study was conducted in patients undergoing KAT for RAA between 2010 and 2018. Moreover, a systematic review was performed on medical databases to evaluate the outcomes of KAT for RAA.

RESULTS

Nine patients were surgically treated at our institutions: eight with laparoscopic nephrectomy (LN), and 1 with open followed heterotopic KAT. All RAAs were ex-vivo reconstructed, and in 3 cases a vein graft was used for reconstruction. There were 2 postoperative major complications including 1 graft loss. In the systematic review, 102 studies with 355 patients were included. In 35 patients (9.9%) a minimal invasive approach was performed. The incidence of postoperative major complications and graft loss was 9.4% and 4.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our experiences showed that laparoscopic approach for nephrectomy followed heterotopic KAT was feasible with good postoperative outcomes. KAT is an effective treatment for RAA when endovascular approach is not feasible for interpretation of the outcomes, the quality and sample size of the evidence should be taken into consideration.

Robotic Repair of Ureteral Strictures: Techniques and Review

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To provide an overview and description of the different surgical techniques for the robotic repair of ureteral strictures.

RECENT FINDINGS

The robotic repair of ureteral stenosis has emerged as a useful option for treating strictures unsuitable for endoscopic resolution with good results, lower morbidity, and faster recovery than open techniques. Depending on the stricture's length and location, the reconstructive options are reimplantation, psoas hitch, Boari flap, ureteroureterostomy, appendiceal onlay flap, buccal mucosa graft (BMG) ureteroplasty, ileal replacement, or renal autotransplantation. The robotic approach offers a magnified vision and the possibility of adding near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging, indocyanine green (ICG), and Firefly^TM to facilitate the technique. Multicenter studies with extended follow-up still have to confirm the good results obtained in published case series. Robotic reconstructive techniques are useful for repairing ureteral strictures, obtaining good functional results with less morbidity and faster recovery than open procedures.

Troubleshooting Complex Vascular Cases in the Kidney Graft: Multiple Vessels, Aneurysms, and Injuries During Harvesting Procedures

PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW

To update the most relevant literature regarding complex vascular cases in kidney transplant setting involving the graft, especially during the harvesting procedure and back-table preparation from the subsequent implant.

RECENT FINDINGS

Challenging situations affecting the kidney graft such as multiple vessels, renal artery aneurysms, kidney anatomical anomalies, or major injuries do not contraindicate the transplant, but require an exhaustive graft viability assessment and several bench surgery techniques. Graft vessel conditioning in the back-table might include simple anastomosis between them, enlarging with venous patch or reconstruction with donor or synthetic grafts. Compared with conventional transplant, literature reports longer warm ischemia time (40 vs 32 min) and slightly increased rates of delayed graft function (10.3% vs 8.2%) and vascular complications (10.8% vs 8.1%), but similar graft and patient survival. Kidney graft vascular complex cases require exhaustive assessment, meticulous harvesting, good surgical technique in the bench table, and proper surgery in the recipient. Despite its complexity, vascular complex kidney transplant offers comparable outcomes in the long term to conventional population when technically well performed, with slightly increased rates of vascular complications and delayed graft function.

Laparoscopic-assisted Ex Vivo Reconstruction of Renal Artery Aneurysm with Internal Iliac Artery and Auto-transplantation

Renal artery aneurysms (RAA) represent a complex and an often incidentally found disease commonly treated with endovascular approaches. In cases where in situ approaches are unsuitable, laparoscopic-assisted ex vivo repairs offer significant advantages during and post-surgery. We present a case of a female patient who presented with a long-standing right-sided flank pain. She was diagnosed with bilateral asymptomatic RAAs positioned well into the hilum, therefore making in situ repair infeasible. A laparoscopic-assisted ex vivo repair of the renal artery was performed using a graft from the internal iliac artery, which is a novel approach.

Kidney Autotransplantation: Between the Past and the Future

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The practice of kidney autotransplantation (KAT) has become an increasingly favorable approach in the treatment of certain renovascular, ureteral, and malignant pathologies. Current KAT literature describes conventional open procedures, which are associated with substantial risks. We sought to compare previously reported outcomes, evaluate common surgical indications, and assess associated risks and benefits of current KAT methods. A thorough evaluation and review of the literature was performed with the keywords "autologous transplantation" and "kidney."

RECENT FINDINGS

Early outcomes of robotic KAT are encouraging and have been associated with fewer complications and shorter hospital stay, but require robotic technique proficiency. KAT is an important method to manage selected complex urological pathologies. Robotic KAT is promising. Nevertheless, future studies should utilize larger patient cohorts to better assess the risks and benefits of KAT and to further validate this approach.

Case series: Transplantation of kidneys from donors with renal artery aneurysm

INTRODUCTION

With the present disparity between organ availability and recipient demands, we reported our experience in transplanting kidneys with renal artery aneurysm after back-table reconstruction.

METHODS

Four patients were identified. The repair consisted of excision of the aneurysm with ostial closure, and for one of the cases, an ovarian vein patch was used. We reviewed the safety and outcomes of this procedure. All donors were asymptomatic before surgery and were diagnosed incidentally during living donor evaluation. The nephrectomies performed were hand-assisted laparoscopic approaches. All recipients had followup renal function and ultrasound duplex of renal artery at six and 12 months and then annually.

RESULTS

The mean age of the recipients was 28.7 years (range 3-45). The mean size of the aneurysm was 7.4 ± 2.7 mm. All patients had immediate graft function with median serum creatinine of 1.9 ± 1.5 mg/dL at discharge. The average length of hospital stay was 6.25 ± 2.6 days. They also maintained good renal function with an average estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 102.8 mL/min/1.73m² (range 53.4-199 mL/min/1.73m²) and patent vessels at one year. One patient suffered from acute antibody-mediated rejection and lost his graft (medication non-compliance). One patient had two simultaneous benign renal cysts that were resected. Three of the kidneys were right-sided and one left. Mean cold ischemia time was 86 ± 18 minutes. No deaths have been recorded.

CONCLUSIONS

Transplanting kidneys with a renal artery aneurysm after ex-vivo repair is safe and the outcomes are encouraging. Also, it may play an important role in expanding the donor pool in the face of current organ shortage.

Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephrectomy and Auto-Transplantation for a Hilar Renal Artery Aneurysm: A Case Report

A 52-year-old man was admitted with an incidentally detected right renal artery aneurysm (RAA). Computed tomographic angiography with three-dimensional reconstruction revealed that the aneurysm was 2.2 cm in diameter and located at the renal hilum. We performed hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy with ex vivo repair of the RAA and auto-transplantation with minimal elongation of Gibson incision. The operation and postoperative course were uneventful. At last follow-up, the patient was alive with a well-functioning auto-transplant. Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy and auto-transplantation is a useful treatment option for hilar RAA.

Renal autotransplantation as savior in hybrid surgery for aortic aneurysm repair

Renal autotransplantation is a safe and effective procedure to reconstruct the urinary tract. The current indications for autotransplantation include renal vascular disease, severe ureteral damage, tumours of the kidney and ureter, complex nephrolithiasis and retroperitoneal fibrosis. We report a rare case where we had to perform renal autotransplantation along with hybrid surgery for aortic aneurysm repair. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of its kind for this specific condition.