title: Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopic living-donor nephrectomy: initial 10 cases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Most living-donor nephrectomies are performed either by transperitoneal laparoscopy, with or without hand assistance, or by retroperitoneal open surgery, with or without video assistance. We therefore started to combine the benefits of these techniques: hand assistance to increase safety and control of the laparoscopic technique, and the retroperitoneal approach to minimize the risk of complications associated with the transabdominal approach. Herein, we report on our first 10 donors nephrectomized with hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Only left nephrectomies were performed. One donor had two renal arteries and two donors had retroaortic renal veins. There were no intra- or postoperative complications. Mean operating time was 155 min (110-230 min).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hand-assisted retroperitoneoscopy in living-donor nephrectomy is a promising new method that could reduce the risks of traditional transperitoneal laparoscopy and should be further evaluated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, SE-751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. jonas.wadstrom@transpl.uas.lul.se
authors.forename: Jonas
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wadström
authors.forename: Pernilla
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lindström
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012187:Retroperitoneal Space / Q000601:surgery