Living donor nephrectomy: a 20-year experience.
OBJECTIVE
To review the selection criteria and perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing living-related donor nephrectomy.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review.


RESULTS
Six hundred eighty-one patients underwent living donor nephrectomy during a 20-year period without any mortality. The postoperative morbidity included pneumothorax requiring a chest tube in 7%, urinary tract infection in 5%, wound infection in 4%, and need for blood replacement in 0.3% of patients. Two patients had clinically apparent pulmonary emboli.


CONCLUSIONS
Living donor nephrectomy remains a valuable source of kidneys for transplantation but is not without risk. By using care in donor selection and surgical management, operative complications can be kept low.
Waples
M J
MJ
Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison.
Belzer
F O
FO
Uehling
D T
DT
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014019:Tissue Donors