Development of a varicocele following left-sided nephrectomy in kidney donors

Most kidney transplantation surgeons tend to prefer the left-sided kidney for donation. Because one of the veins to join the left renal vein is the left testicular (gonadal) vein, its flow may be damaged by manipulation of the left renal vein during left-sided nephrectomy. We sought to evaluate changes of the left-sided pampiniform venous plexus and testis following left-sided nephrectomy in kidney donors.

During the present cross-sectional study (June 2007-July 2008), 54 healthy males who were candidates for left kidney donation underwent an ultrasound study of the left-sided pampiniform venous plexus diameter as well as the left testis size before and 4 months after left-sided nephrectomy.

The patient mean age was 25.07 +/- 2.49 years. The mean diameters of left pampiniform vein before versus 4 months after nephrectomy were 1.37 +/- 0.40 versus 2.04 +/- 0.49 mm, respectively. The mean sizes of left testis before and 4 months after nephrectomy were 21.86 +/- 2.47 versus 21.50 +/- 2.17 mL, respectively. The mean left pampiniform vein diameter significantly increased at 4 months after left-sided nephrectomy (P < .001), but the mean left testis size was not significantly changed (P = .136).

Four months after left-sided nephrectomy, the left pampiniform venous plexus diameter increased, whereas there was no significant change in left testis size. Therefore, in patients with left-sided nephrectomy, a high risk of varicocele may be predicted.