title: Right-sided laparoscopic live-donor nephrectomy: is reluctance still justified?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) of the right kidney is performed with great reluctance because of the shorter renal vein and possible increased incidence of venous thrombosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective, clinical study, right LDN and left LDN were compared. Between December 1997 and May 2001, 101 LDN were performed. Seventy-three (72%) right LDN were compared with 28 (28%) left LDN for clinical characteristics, operative data, and graft function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding conversion rate, complications, hospital stay, thrombosis, graft function, and graft survival. Operating time was significantly shorter in the right LDN group (218 vs. 280 min).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, right LDN was not associated with a higher number of complications, conversions, or incidence of venous thrombosis compared with the left LDN. Thus, reluctance toward right LDN is not justified, and therefore, right LDN should not be avoided.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: May Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hazebroek
authors.forename: Wim C J
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weimar
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jaap Bonjer
authors.forename: Jan N M
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: IJzermans
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D019520:Living Donors; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors