A prospective analysis of the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of digital subtraction angiography for living-related renal donor evaluation.
From 1982 to 1984, we conducted a prospective study to evaluate the usefulness of i.v. renal digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for living-related donor (LRD) evaluation. Twenty-eight LRDs were evaluated with the traditional approach of intravenous pyelography (IVP) and standard catheter arteriography (SCA) (group 1). During the same period, 33 LRDs underwent renal DSA and IVP from a single i.v. contrast injection (group 2). If renal arterial imaging with DSA was considered satisfactory, no further radiographic studies were done (group 2-A, n = 23). If renal arterial imaging with DSA was not satisfactory, SCA was then obtained (group 2-B, n = 10). DSA alone accurately defined the number and location of renal arteries in 21 of 23 patients from group 2-A, and in 5 of 10 patients from group 2-B. The major limitation of DSA was in patients with multiple renal arteries; accurate imaging was obtained in only 7 of these 13 patients (54%). In group 2 overall, preoperative renal imaging was not accurate in 2 of 33 patients (6%); in both cases, an unsuspected polar artery was found at nephrectomy. The mean cost per patient of all radiographic renal imaging studies was $953.00 for group 2 and $1721.00 for group 1. These data suggest that the approach of preferentially evaluating LRDs with DSA-IVP, and obtaining SCA only if DSA yields poor visualization, is more cost-effective but not as accurate as the traditional policy of obtaining SCA and IVP in all cases.
D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013382:Subtraction Technique / Q000191:economics*