Long-term follow-up of a randomized trial comparing laparoscopic and mini-incision open live donor nephrectomy

Long-term physical and psychosocial effects of laparoscopic and open kidney donation are ill defined. We performed long-term follow-up of 100 live kidney donors, who had been randomly assigned to mini-incision open donor nephrectomy (MIDN) or laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN). Data included blood pressure, glomerular filtration rate, quality of life (SF-36), fatigue (MFI-20) and graft survival. After median follow-up of 6 years clinical and laboratory data were available for 47 donors (94%) in both groups; quality of life data for 35 donors (70%) in the MIDN group, and 37 donors (74%) in the LDN group. After 6 years, mean estimated glomerular filtration rates did not significantly differ between MIDN (75 mL/min) and LDN (76 mL/min, p = 0.39). Most dimensions of the SF-36 and MFI-20 did not significantly differ between groups at long-term follow-up, and most scores had returned to baseline. Twelve percent of the donors reported persistent complaints, but no major complications requiring surgical intervention. Five-year death-censored graft survival was 90% for LDN, and 85% for MIDN (p = 0.50). Long-term outcome of live kidney donation is excellent from the perspective of both the donor and the recipient.