Laparoscopic surgery for orthotopic kidney transplant in the pig model

BackgroundLaparoscopic surgery has become the preferred approach in surgical practice due to multiple benefits. Over the last decade, kidney transplant by laparoscopic or robotic techniques have been explored. The aim of this study is to establish a new laparoscopic technique for kidney orthotopic transplant.Materials and methodsThe study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the University. Ten live female pigs (Sus scrofa), weighing 45–50 kg, underwent laparoscopic kidney orthotopic transplant on left side under general anesthesia, and the opposite right kidney was defunctioned by complete ligation of the ureter at the same time.ResultsThe vital signs of all pigs were stable during the surgery and postoperative period. There were no intraoperative complications and no conversion to open surgery. The laparoscopic kidney transplant was successful in seven of 10 pigs. Seven pigs were observed up to 4 wk as planned in the study.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first study of laparoscopic kidney orthotopic transplant in pig model with satisfactory immediate graft function. It was demonstrated that laparoscopic kidney transplant is a feasible, reliable, and safe procedure. However, it is a very demanding technique. Adequate training is mandatory for performing laparoscopic kidney transplant. This study could be used as a training model for surgeons who wish to perform human laparoscopic kidney transplant in the future.