title: Surgical complications following 1670 consecutive adult renal transplantations: A single center study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to clarify the frequency and the sequel of surgical complications occurring within 1 year after renal transplantation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical complications after 1670 consecutive adult kidney transplantations performed between 2000 and 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. In 2%, a living-related allograft was used, and 10% were retransplantations. An intravesical technique without stenting was used for the ureteric implantation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 282 surgical complications occurring in 259 (15.5%) transplantations. Ureteral obstruction occurred in 53 (3.1%), lymphoceles in 39 (1.5%), postoperative hemorrhage in 36 (2.1%), and renal vein thrombosis in 22 (1.3%) patients, respectively. Out of the 17 lung emboli, 4 were fatal. Male recipients had twice as much ureteral stenosis as female (2.4 vs 1.2%, p < 0.05), and the opposite was true of urinary leakage (1.8% vs 4.0%, p < 0.025). Five-year patient and graft survival was impaired in patients with complications compared with patients without complications. Five-year patient survival was 92% versus 88% and graft survival 87% versus 74%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical complications impair patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Surgery, Department of Transplantation and Liver Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland marko.lempinen@hus.fi.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lempinen
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital and Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stenman
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Surgery, Department of Transplantation and Liver Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kyllönen
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Surgery, Department of Transplantation and Liver Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salmela
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000601:surgery*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Kidney transplantation; surgical complications