title: Recipient outcome following living donor kidney transplantation using kidneys procured laparoscopically.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic live donor nephrectomy is becoming increasingly popular as it has been shown to minimize donor morbidity, length of hospital stay and length of time to return to work. Initial experience suggested that kidneys procured laparoscopically had higher rates of delayed graft function and ureteric complications but with increasing experience, these complications have become less common.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart review of all patients who underwent living donor kidney transplant using kidneys procured laparoscopically at our centre was performed. From the initiation of the laparoscopic donor nephrectomy programme at our institution in November 1998 until February 2002, we performed 71 living donor kidney transplants (69 kidneys procured laparoscopically and two procured by open donor nephrectomy after failed laparoscopic approach). Donor left kidney was used in all except in one patient. Mean duration of warm ischaemia time was 206 +/- 79 s.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the recipients was 42 +/- 15 years (range 1-68) including five paediatric recipients (age < 18 years). There were 48 males and 23 females. Nine (13%) were retransplants (seven second transplants and one each of third and fourth transplants). Two patients died with functioning grafts and four patients lost the graft (three thrombosis, one anastomotic rupture). No patient developed ureteric complications. The incidence of delayed graft function (need for dialysis in the first week post-transplant) was 4%. Patient and graft survival rates (actual) were 97% and 91%, respectively. Mean length of hospital stay was 9 +/- 7 days (median 7 days).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recipient outcome is not compromised and excellent results can be achieved with living donor kidney transplantation using laparoscopically procured kidneys.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Surgery and Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40536, USA. kredd0@pop.uky.edu
authors.forename: K Sudhakar
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: D Johnston
authors.forename: Taqi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Waid
authors.forename: Wade
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: McKeown
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lucas
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ranjan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007668:Kidney / Q000601:surgery; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome