Right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: the Washington Hospital Center experience.
OBJECTIVE
To review 167 consecutive laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies performed at the Washington Hospital Center to determine whether the side of extraction, right versus left, affects the operative outcomes.


METHODS
From January 2003 to June 2005, 167 consecutive patients (127 left and 40 right) underwent laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy. The right-sided and left-sided procedures were compared in the following categories: operative time, warm ischemia time, length of stay, and complications.


RESULTS
The mean operative time for a right donor nephrectomy was 220 minutes versus 228 minutes for a left. The mean estimated blood loss was 115 mL for right donor nephrectomy versus 106 mL for the left. The corresponding mean warm ischemia times were 5.32 minutes and 4.91 minutes. The median length of stay was 3 days in both groups. Five minor and three major complications occurred, including 2 patients with recognized bowel injuries and 1 patient who required reoperation for a bladder injury.


CONCLUSIONS
Historically, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy has been performed solely on the left side because of the increased length of the left renal vein. However, in our experience, the operative parameters and postoperative results were equivalent in the right and left laparoscopic donor nephrectomy groups. Therefore, we recommend removal of the more appropriate kidney, regardless of side.
Diner
Eric K
EK
Department of Urology, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010, USA. ericdiner@hotmail.com
Radolinski
Bartholomew
B
Murdock
Jonah D
JD
Ghasemian
S Reza
SR
D000328:Adult; D004219:District of Columbia; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D010535:Laparoscopy; D007902:Length of Stay; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*