Laparoscopic live donor right nephrectomy: a new technique to maximize the length of the renal vein using a modified Endo GIA stapler.
OBJECTIVE
To report the utilization of a modified Endo GIA vascular stapler to obtain the full length of the renal vein during transperitoneal laparoscopic live donor right nephrectomy.


METHODS
We used a modified Endo GIA stapler, in which the triple staggered rows of staples were removed from the kidney donor side to obtain the full length of the right renal vein. This technique has currently been used in nine consecutive transperitoneal laparoscopic right donor nephrectomies.


RESULTS
With this technique, the entire right renal vein length was harvested in all cases, without vascular complications. Mean renal warm ischemia time from clamping of the renal vessels to cold perfusion was 135s, and mean receptor postoperative glomerular filtration rate after 30 d was 67.3 ml/min. There were no graft losses.


CONCLUSIONS
A novel technique for laparoscopic live donor right nephrectomy is described. It allows harvesting the full length of the right renal vein in a safe and feasible way without compromising warm ischemia time.
Bollens
Renaud
R
Department of Urology, Erasme Hospital, University Clinics, Route de Lennik 808, B-1070 Brussels, Belgium. renaud.bollens@ulb.ac.be
Mikhaski
Dimitri
D
Espinoza
Baldo P
BP
Rosenblatt
Alberto
A
Hoang
Anh Dung
AD
Abramowicz
Daniel
D
Donckier
Vincent
V
Schulman
Claude C
CC
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D017792:Surgical Stapling / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*