A late complication of spousal kidney donation.
An 83-year-old female who had previously (32 years ago) donated a kidney to her husband presented with loin pain, confusion and oliguria. Acute renal failure and pulmonary edema necessitated emergency hemodialysis. The history and findings were thought to be consistent with acute renal artery occlusion on a background of atherosclerosis and severe renal artery stenosis. We present this case, not to imply that renal donation is a hazardous procedure, but rather as an illustration of a complication of donor nephrectomy that in a very large series has proved to be extremely rare. This case illustrates the point that even very rare events become more likely as the period of follow-up increases.
Department of Nephrology and Transplantation, Guy's Hospital, London, UK.
S A
SA
Jayawardene
A
A
Mohsin
J E
JE
Scoble
R M
RM
Hilton
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012078:Renal Artery Obstruction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors