Single-surgeon laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and renal transplantation

To demonstrate the feasibility of single-surgeon performance of laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and recipient living renal transplantation.

Fifteen consecutive donor-recipient pairs were performed from August 2003 and July 2004 by a single surgeon at one institution. Routine donor and recipient outcome measures were prospectively assessed.

The mean donor height and weight was 66 in. and 151 lb, respectively. All donors underwent left nephrectomy. Renal arteries were paired in 3 (20%) of 15 donors. No donors underwent conversion or transfusion. No donor complications occurred. The mean operating room time, estimated blood loss, and hospital stay was 195 minutes, 200 mL, and 2 days, respectively. The mean recipient height and weight was 65 in. and 158 lb, respectively. The mean recipient age was 46 years (range 21 to 69). Of the 15 recipients, 3 (20%) had previously undergone transplantation. The mean operating room time, blood loss, and hospital stay for the recipients was 155 minutes, 100 mL, and 4.5 days, respectively. No recipient operative complications occurred. All allografts functioned immediately. The median recipient creatinine nadir was 1.1 mg/dL. Of the 15 recipients, 3 (20%) had postoperative complications during follow-up, including reintubation in 1, pneumonia in 1, and acute rejection in 1. The patient and graft survival rate were both 100%, and the mean serum creatinine was 1.16 mg/dL at a mean and median follow-up of 187 and 164 days (range 18 to 350), respectively.

We report the first series evaluating the performance of single-surgeon laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and living renal transplantation. Single-surgeon performance of both laparoscopic donor nephrectomy and living renal transplantation is technically feasible and logistically straightforward. The donor and recipient outcomes are consistent with those reported in published reports.