Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy in a patient with duplex inferior vena cava

Modern imaging, such as CT and MRI, improves the preoperative assessment for variants of renal vasculature. We present a kidney donor with a duplex inferior vena cava. In conjunction with CT and hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery, live donor nephrectomy was performed successfully.

A 35-year-old woman wished to donate a kidney to her son. Preoperative CT showed normal functional kidneys without uretal duplication. A duplex inferior vena cava was noted below the level of the left renal vein. A hand-assisted transperitoneal laparoscopic left nephrectomy was performed. Blood loss was minimal and the warm ischemia time was 3 minutes. Renal transplantation was performed with good initial perfusion and urine output.

The donor was discharged in good condition at 3 days postoperatively. Both donor and recipient are alive with good renal function and without late surgical complications at 9 months.

Live donor nephrectomy is unique as it involves two different patients. Benefits from laparoscopic operation include less pain, shorter hospital stay, earlier resumption of normal food intake, and earlier return to full activity. Graft function was not deleteriously affected and the survival of graft and recipient was not affected. Vascular anomalies, although uncommon, had a significant influence on live renal transplantation. Our patient represents a case of a rare venous anomaly, which has an an incidence rate of 0.5% to 3%. Helical CT with reconstruction of vascular anatomy helped in evaluating donor vasculature. In conjunction with modern imaging techniques and laparoscopic operation, live donor nephrectomy can be performed safely, even in patients with vascular anomalies.