[Live-donor kidney transplantations. The problems of vascular reconstructions]

The aim of the study was to evaluate the vascular surgery problems in 59 kidney transplantations from live donor, performed by the team for kidney transplantations (vascular surgeons and urologists) of Medical University--Sofia, for the period from April 1996 to May 1999. Nephrectomy was performed on 59 relatives (44 female and 15 males)--54.33 years average age. Donor kidneys were transplanted to 37 males (55.71 years average age) and 22 females (36.85 years average age). The average duration of hemodialysis prior to transplantation was 60.18 months (5.015 years). Most of donor kidneys were right--38, while only 21 were left. In six kidneys duplex renal veins were presented (10.16%), while in other 7 cases (11.76%) there were duplex renal arteries. We preferred termino-terminal anastomoses of donor renal artery to the hypogastric artery of the recipient, which provides not only better regional hemodynamics guaranteeing long term patency of the anastomoses, but presents optimal positioning of new kidney to the retroperitoneal space of recipient avoiding external compression of renal vessels. The standard performance of venous anastomoses was termino-lateral to the iliac vein of the recipient. In 7 cases, saphenous vein graft was used to replace or prolong the donor arteries or veins. Postoperative results of live donor kidney transplantation were successful in all cases, except one case (1.74% of 71 venous anastomoses) with late deep venous thrombosis of recipient's iliac vein resulting in kidney rupture and unavoidable nephrectomy. There were also 5 cases of haemorrhage (8.47%): in 3 of them from the renal hilus and in 2--profuse bleeding from the operative approach, all successfully treated after reoperation. Our satisfactory results in live donor kidney transplantation prove this method as a method of choice in certain cases of chronic renal insufficiency, especially in lack of cadaver kidneys. Contemporary vascular surgery disposes of various techniques that makes possible transplantation even in cases with serious anomalies of renal vessels. The atraumatic nephrectomy of donor kidney remains one of the main factors contributing to the successful outcome of kidney transplantation.