[Blunt trauma in kidney transplant with preservation of renal function]

A 35-year-old male received a living related kidney transplant. At 184 months posttransplantation he suffered a direct right iliac fossa blunt trauma while working on a machine in a steel factory. Graft pain, dysuria and gross hematuria were observed and CT showed a periallograft hematoma. Because of his anemia and graft function deterioration, surgical exploration was warranted. A 500-cc perigraft hematoma was compressing the kidney and ureter, a 5-cm long, 5-mm in depth linear laceration in the lateral aspect of the superior pole of the graft and a 15-mm long, 2-mm in depth linear laceration in the medial aspect of the superior pole were actively bleeding. Major renal arteries and veins were not injured. Both lacerations were closed by suturing the renal parenchyma over gelfoam pledgets with absorbable suture in a buttress fashion. The kidney was salvaged. Serum creatinine was maintained at 1.5 mg/dl during follow-up. A review of the literature showed that few cases of traumatic renal graft rupture with kidney salvage have been reported. Our case is one of them.