title: Current concepts in transplant surgery: laparoscopic living donor of the kidney.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Living donor kidney transplantation has emerged as an excellent alternative to cadaveric donation since, more than 50 years ago, the first live donor nephrectomy was successfully performed.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The basic idea of introducing laparoscopy in live donor nephrectomy was to obtain a potential reduction in incision-related morbidity with reduced pain and faster reconvalescence while providing at least the same level of operative security. This paper is focusing on technical aspects, outcome, results, and possible current concerns and advantages of laparoscopic living-related donor nephrectomy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our results and the results available in the literature, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy is safe when performed with sufficient experience. Postoperative pain is less and recovery is significantly faster.
authors.affiliation: Clinic for General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstr. 55, 45122, Essen, Germany. andreas.paul-2@koeln.de
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treckmann
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallinat
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Witzke
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Vester
authors.forename: Christoph E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Broelsch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D019520:Living Donors; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009392:Nephrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D020858:Tissue and Organ Harvesting / Q000379:methods*