Renal transplantation in a child with thrombosed inferior vena cava

The external iliac vein is commonly used in renal transplantation for vascular anastomosis of the allograft renal vein. However, there are rare instances when the transplant surgeon may encounter thrombosis of the ilio-caval vein during surgery, making renal transplantation a challenge. Often, these patients are considered unsuitable for renal transplantation. We report a case of thrombosis of the inferior vena cava in an asymptomatic pediatric patient in whom the splenic vein was used, at transplantation, for venous drainage. This case highlights that pre-operative Doppler screening should be performed in all potential renal transplant recipients.