Return to normal activities and work after living donor laparoscopic nephrectomy

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Transplant Surgery
• Surgical Recovery

Background:

• Transplant programs typically inform laparoscopic nephrectomy donors of a ~2-week return to normal activities and a 6-week return to work.
• Actual recovery times may differ significantly from these estimates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the actual time required for kidney donors to return to normal activities and work after laparoscopic nephrectomy.
• To compare actual recovery times with pre-donation expectations.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 911 laparoscopic nephrectomy donors 6 months post-donation.
• The survey assessed return to normal activities, return to work, and recovery experience relative to expectations.
• Data from 646 (71%) respondents were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Only 35% returned to normal activities by 2 weeks; 6% took over 6 weeks.
• For those working, the mean time to return to work was 5.3 weeks, with 24% requiring over 6 weeks.
• Females, those without post-high school education, and those with longer hospital stays or complications reported longer return-to-work times.
• 37% of respondents found their recovery longer than anticipated.

Conclusions:

• Actual recovery times after laparoscopic nephrectomy frequently exceed the standard estimates provided to donors.
• There is a need for enhanced emphasis on realistic recovery expectations during the informed consent process for kidney donors.