Doppler Ultrasonography Before and 6 to 12 Months After Kidney Transplantation

IntroductionUltrasound examination of the kidney is relatively inexpensive and provides a way to assess renal location, contour, and size. Doppler ultrasonography is a noninvasive tool for screening renal artery stenosis. It not only provides kidney morphology data, but also describes hemodynamic changes associated with renal artery stenosis, such as increased peak systolic velocity and decreased resistance index (RI). The aim of this study was to compare the Doppler ultrasonographic changes between the donor’s kidney before transplantation and the recipient’s kidney at 6 to 12 months after transplantation.MethodsWe compared the results of Doppler ultrasonography in 20 kidney donors and recipients before and 6 to 12 months after transplantation. For this purpose the size, cortical thickness, echogenicity, anastomosis, mean pulsatility index (MPI), and RI of the kidney were recorded in potential donors before transplantation and in recipients at 6 to 12 months after transplantation for statistical analysis.ResultsThere was more than a 10-mm increase in transplanted kidney length 6 to 12 months after transplantation in 75% of recipients. There was also more than a 10-mm increase in the width of the transplanted kidney in 80% of recipients. There was no significant change in cortical thickness between the donor and the recipient of the kidney. MPI and RI increased slightly after transplantation. There was more than 50% anastomotic stenosis in only 10% of transplanted kidneys.ConclusionThere was significant enlargement of the kidney size with a nonsignificant increase in MPI and RI of the transplanted kidney. Anastomotic stenosis was also less significant in our study.