Comparative Analysis of Quality of Life and Surgical Outcomes Following Laparoscopic Versus Open Living Donor...

This study aimed to evaluate and compare quality of  life  and  surgical  outcomes  following  laparoscopic  donor nephrectomy (LDN) versus the standard open donor nephrectomy (ODN) technique.

This open-label randomized clinical trial was conductedat  Imam  Khomeini  Hospital,  Urmia,  Iran,  from  2022  to  2023). Ninety-one  kidney  donors  were  randomly  assigned  to  the  ODN (n = 46)  or  LDN  (n = 45)  group.  Outcomes  included  hemoglobin changes,  renal  function,  hospitalization  length,  operation  time, time  to  return  to  normal  activities,  complications,  and  one-year quality of life (SF-36). Data were analyzed using t-tests and Chi-square tests (P < .05).

The  mean  duration  of  surgery  was  significantly  longer in  the  LDN  group  compared  to  the  ODN  group  (3.13 ± 0.37  vs. 2.30 ± 0.37 hours; P < .001). However, the ODN group experienced a  significantly  greater  reduction  in  hemoglobin  (-1.59 ± 0.78  vs. -1.04 ± 0.94; P = .004)  and  longer  hospitalization  (4.06 ± 0.38  vs. 3.31 ± 0.55  days; P < .001).  Furthermore,  a  significantly  higher proportion  of  LDN  patients  returned  to  normal  activities  within one  month  of  surgery  (84.1%  vs.  54.5%; P = .004).  There  were  no significant  differences  regarding  urinary  output,  complications,or long-term quality of life (P > .05).

Although laparoscopic donor nephrectomy requires a longer operative time, it offers superior clinical benefits, including reduced  blood  loss,  shorter  hospital  stays,  and  faster  functional recovery. These findings support the adoption of the laparoscopic approach as the preferred standard of care for living kidney donors to optimize postoperative recovery.