How safe is hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy?--results of 200 live donor nephrectomies by two different...

Despite the rapid introduction of laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy, doubts exist about safety compared with open surgery. Early series have often reported on selective donor groups. We present a consecutive, prospective analysis of morbidity following hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (HALDN) compared with historical controls undergoing open donation (ODN) in a total of 200 living donors at a single UK centre.

The results of 144 consecutively performed HALDN donors were compared to 56 preceding ODN patients. Patients with multiple arteries, right-sided nephrectomies and obesity were included. Data on recovery and complications were collected prospectively and consecutively.

There were two (1.4%) major complications in the HALDN group and one in the ODN group (1.8%, P = 0.629). Additionally, there were 24 minor complications in 23 HADLN patients (16.7%), compared with 21 in 21 ODN patients (37.5%, P = 0.003). Time taken to return to normal activity and mean post-operative stay was significantly shorter for the HALDN group. There was no mortality in either group.

Contrary to concerns, we report a safe experience with HALDN with a low rate of major complications. Furthermore, our patients spend less time in hospital with an earlier return to normal activity compared with open donation.