How can a vascular surgeon help in kidney transplantation

Kidney transplantation is a surgical procedure involving both vascular and ureteric anastomoses. As a matter of fact, it can be performed either by urologists or vascular surgeons. However, vascular surgeon's expertise can be helpful at different times. In the present paper we describe how can vascular surgeons help at the different stages of kidney transplantation process in modern care: 1) before kidney transplantation for recipient preparation in order to allow subsequent graft implantation, either by performing percutaneous embolization of renal arteries in the setting of polycystic kidney disease or treatment of aneurysmal or occlusive lesions that would contra-indicate graft implantation; 2) at the time of surgery graft back table preparation and repair; and 3) after surgery for long-term follow-up, including transplant renal artery stenosis treatment or transplant nephrectomy.