Laparoscopic Live Donor Nephrectomy: Single Center Experience

AimsThe aim of this study was a retrospective assessment of the safety of laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy (LLDN) and the outcome of these renal transplantations.MethodsFrom November 2001 to October 2006, we performed 30 LLDN (all left nephrectomies) after excluding any renal vascular anomalies in the donor. All laparoscopic procedures were performed by a team consisting of an expert laparoscopic surgeon and a transplant surgeon. The donor mean age was 48.9 ± 7.6 years (range 22 to 69), 33% of the donors were men and their mean Body Mass Index was 24.7 ± 3.8 kg/m2. The recipients were a 32 ± 14 years old (range 6 to 64), with 66% of them men, and their mean time on dialysis, 33 ± 49 months (range 0 to 120).ResultsAfter a mean follow-up of 39 ± 14 months, all donors and recipients are alive. The mean operative time was 272 ± 41 min (range 225–360) and the mean warm ischemia time, 161 ± 35 seconds (range 107 to 240). Surgical complications in the donors were one incisional hernia and two cases of pneumonia. The donor’s mean hospital stay was 5.3 ± 1.7 days (range 3 to 12) and their mean serum creatinine at discharge was 111 ± 21 μmol/L. There was one surgical complication-a hematoma-among the recipients, and all transplants functioned immediately except for one case.ConclusionsLLDN was confirmed to be safe and effective, with no negative impact on transplants success. Expertise in laparoscopic surgery is needed to minimize the side effects for the transplant donor and for the recipient.