Single Stapler Technique for Vascular Control in Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy

Area of Science:

• Nephrology
• Surgical Innovation
• Transplant Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has evolved with advancements in surgical tools and techniques.
• The conventional LDN method involves separate stapling of the renal artery and vein.
• This study investigates a modified LDN approach using a single vascular stapling technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and feasibility of a single vascular stapling technique for simultaneous renal artery and vein division in LDN.
• To compare this technique with the conventional method in terms of surgical outcomes and complications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of LDN cases performed by a single surgeon between January 2018 and January 2020.
• Data collected included demographic information, surgical parameters (time, blood loss, ischemia time), and complications.
• Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the collected data.

Main Results:

• The study included 196 donors, with a mean age of 44.5 years.
• The single stapling technique was successfully applied in 85.7% of cases with a single renal artery and vein.
• Mean surgical time was 68.4 minutes, and mean warm ischemia time was 2.8 minutes, with a 1.02% conversion rate to open surgery.

Conclusions:

• Single stapling for concurrent renal artery and vein division in LDN is a safe and feasible surgical approach.
• This technique may lead to reduced warm ischemia times and lower overall costs for LDN.
• Further research could explore long-term outcomes and broader adoption of this method.