title: An alternative for short renal vein during kidney transplantation: long-term experience with polyethylene terephthalate (Dacron) vascular graft.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the first long-term experience with the polyethylene perephthalate vascular graft to lengthen a short renal vein during kidney transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The polyethylene terephthalate vascular graft was interposed between the short renal vein of the donor kidney and the recipient's external iliac vein using 6-0 Prolene suture on a 13-mm needle. The postoperative follow-up protocol of the patients included regular serum creatinine levels and Doppler ultrasound scans.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median follow-up period was 74.5 months (range 51-128). Postoperative Doppler ultrasonography showed no complications in any of the patients. None of our patients experienced any kind of rejection. The median creatinine level at the last follow-up visit was 0.99 mg/dL (range 0.73-1.56).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our experience, the use of polyethylene terephthalate vascular grafts as a venous graft for the short renal vein in kidney transplantation provides an alternative option with long-term success.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Marmara University School of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. ilker_tinay@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ilker
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tinay
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Temiz
authors.forename: Yalcin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ilker
authors.forename: Serhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tuglular
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Turkeri
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000714:Anastomosis, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007084:Iliac Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011184:Postoperative Period; D012082:Renal Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D058017:Vascular Grafting / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D003404:Creatinine