Laparoscopy for living donor nephrectomy - particularities of the currently applied techniques

[Current value of laparoscopy for renal transplantation]

Laparoscopic techniques have not only become increasingly more important for patients on dialysis or after kidney transplantation, they also represent the operative standard procedures as almost all patients additionally suffer from concomitant diseases and do carry a higher operative risk. Therefore, these patients will derive special benefits from minimally invasive procedures offering lower morbidity and quick recovery. In centers with expertise in minimally invasive procedures, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy has already replaced open live donor nephrectomy as the standard procedure.

Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy

Since it first was performed in 1995, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has grown to be the standard of care in most transplant centers in the United States. This article reviews the current indications, selection criteria, surgical approaches, outcomes, and complications of LDN.

[Living donor transplantation. Surgical complications]

Although nephrectomy by open surgery is the most used technique for the extraction of kidney transplants in the living donor, nephrectomy under laparaoscopy is increasingly practiced. Laparoscopic nephrectomy is less invasive and performed under videoscopy control, after insufflation of the peritoneal cavity. Three to four incisions are done in order to enter the surgical instruments. The kidney is extracted through a horizontal sus-pubic incision. The exposition is either exclusively transperitoneal, retroperitoneal or hand assisted. The advantages of laparoscopy are esthetical, financial due to a shorter hospitalisation and a quicker recovery, as well a confort for the donor. The disadvantages are a longer warm ischemia time and possibly a higher risk of delayed graft function. Randomised studies having compared laparoscopy and open surgery in the living donor have not find any significant difference regarding the per- and perioperative in the complications.

Retroperitoneoscopic Live Donor Nephrectomy in a Patient with a Double Inferior Vena Cava

BACKGROUND

Vascular anomalies are considered a contraindication for laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy. We report a successful hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic live donor nephrectomy from a donor with a double inferior vena cava.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A 37-year-old woman wanted to donate a kidney to her 44-year-old boyfriend who had hypertensive nephropathy. Preoperative donor imaging showed a double inferior vena cava. Each renal vein drains into the ipsilateral inferior vena cava division, making the left renal vein short. A single renal artery, vein, and ureter were noted on both sides. A hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic left nephrectomy was performed. Blood loss was minimal and the warm ischemia time was 2 minutes. Renal transplantation was performed with good initial perfusion and urine output. Cold ischemia and rewarming time was 25 minutes.

RESULTS

The donor postoperative period was uneventful with infrequent need for pain relief. The donor was discharged in good condition 3 days postoperatively. The donor's kidney functions were within the normal range at follow-up 4 months postoperatively. The recipient was discharged in good condition 7 days postoperatively. The recipient is alive with good graft function and unremarkable complications at 4 month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Although vascular anomalies present a surgical challenge, we have shown the feasibility of performing hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic live donor nephrectomy in a donor with a double vena cava and short renal vein. With comprehensive preoperative assessment, laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy can be done safely in donors with anatomical anomalies. This may increase the number of living donor kidney transplants as it offers lower postoperative morbidity and economic disincentives for potential donors.

Laparoscopic vs open living donor nephrectomy: a contemporary series from one centre

OBJECTIVE

To report our experience of laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LDN) vs open donor nephrectomy (ODN), as LDN offers potential advantages to the donor and has become a routine procedure for live kidney procurement worldwide.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between February 2000 and August 2005 we performed 183 donor-recipient operations at our institution (ODN, 83; LDN, 100). We prospectively collected information on all donors and recipients for the same period to audit our experience with the first 100 LDNs. Patients made their operative choice after discussions that included unit experience and published information. We present our findings with the emphasis on donor operative details and early recipient graft outcome.

RESULTS

Donor and recipient age, gender, body mass index, human leukocyte antigen mismatches, and vascular anastomotic times did not differ significantly between the groups. There were two conversions to an open operation in the LND group; neither affected recipient-graft outcome. The mean (sd) operative duration was 178 (38) min for the LDN and 159 (34) min for the ODN (P < 0.05). The mean (sd) hospital stay was 4.7 (1.2) days in the LND group and 6.8 (1.5) days in the ODN group (P < 0.05). There was one case of delayed graft function in both groups. Serum creatinine levels at 1, 6 and 12 months after transplantation did not differ significantly between the groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Our contemporaneous series shows the safe introduction of a laparoscopic living-donor programme without compromising donor patient safety or allograft outcome.

[Ten years of laparoscopic living kidney donation. From an extravagant to a routine procedure]

Ten years ago the first laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LDN) was performed. Today, LDN is a routine operation in many US-American transplantation centers and an increasing number of centers in Europe are practicing LDN. In this article the different aspects of LDN for donor, kidney, recipient and operating surgeon are evaluated. We performed a literature research concerning LDN and the different aspects. Our own experience, as the largest LDN center in Germany, is part of the evaluation. Laparoscopic extraction of a kidney from a living donor is as safe for the donor as the open approach. At the same time, LDN offers multiple advantages like reduced pain and shorter convalescence. For the donated kidney and the recipient no disadvantages occur from the laparoscopic technique, as long as special intra- and perioperative demands are met. For the operating surgeon multiple developments have expanded the technical armentarium. LDN is safe for donor, recipient and kidney. Central issue of an optimal LDN is sufficient experience with laparoscopic urological techniques.

Nierentransplantation im Kindes- und Jugendalter

The reasons for end-stage renal disease in pediatric patients differ from adults. The therapy of choice is renal transplantation. A total of 117 children and adolescents were treated with renal transplantation in 2003 in Germany. Immunosuppressive therapy and related comorbidities are the main problems in pediatric patients. The following article provides a summary of transplantation in children, preparation, and follow-up.