Multiple renal arteries in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.
BACKGROUND
Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy has gained popularity throughout the world recently. The more centers became experienced the more this technique began to be used, even in extreme cases. Kidneys with multiple renal arteries are one of the difficult cases for laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.


METHODS
Thirty living laparoscopic donor nephrectomies have been performed between January 2001 and December 2002. Twenty-three of them had single and seven kidneys had multiple renal arteries. Single (SA) and multiple (MA) artery groups were statistically similar in terms of donor age, rate of received right kidneys and serum creatinine clearance of the donors.


RESULTS
The mean duration of the donor surgery was 225 min and 240 min in SA and MA groups. In the SA and MA groups, the mean warm and cold ischemia times were statistically similar. Laparoscopic nephrectomy was converted to open procedure in five and one donors, in the SA and MA artery groups, respectively. Intraoperative bleeding (single artery: 4, multiple arteries: 1) was the most common cause for conversion. Postoperative urinary complications were seen in four and one patients, in the SA and MA groups, respectively. Lengths of hospital stay of the donors were similar in both groups. Serum creatinine levels of the patients on seventh, 30th, 90th days, and 1 year were found to be statistically similar in both groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was found to be a safe procedure in the donors with multiple renal arteries by the experienced surgical teams, as much as in donors with single arteries.
Kacar
Serdar
S
SSK Tepecik Hospital, Organ Transplantation Unit, Izmir, Turkey. serdarkacar@tepecikorgannakli.org
Gurkan
Alp
A
Akman
Fatih
F
Varýlsuha
Can
C
Karaca
Cezmi
C
Karaoglan
Muharrem
M
D000328:Adult; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000453:epidemiology; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D007902:Length of Stay; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012077:Renal Artery / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*; D014570:Urologic Diseases / Q000209:etiology