Surgical complications of renal transplantation: ultrasound diagnosis

Ultrasound is the principal imaging technique for the evaluation of a renal allograft; it is a safe imaging technique to assess the structure of the graft and its perfusion without the need for intravenous contrast or ionizing radiation. The evaluation of kidney transplant complications is easy due to its presence in the iliac fossa lying anterior to the external iliac vessels. Complications may be classified as medical and surgical; the latter are classified in urologic, vascular and general surgical complications.

Our experience on surgical complications in kidney recipients from donors, on the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of these complications and their impact on the graft and patient survival rates is reported.

Ultrasonography represents a safe imaging technique to assess the structure of the graft and its perfusion without the use of ionizing radiation and iodinated contrast medium, and a quick, accurate method for the evaluation of complications.

Although it possesses limitations and is ultimately operator dependent, ultrasound is considered an excellent tool for the assessment of the kidney transplant and in our experience it represents the main imaging technique used in the evaluation of graft complications.