Living Donor Nephrectomy: Surgical Selection Criteria of Laterality / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study was aimed at deciding the surgical selection criteria in laterality of donor nephrectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 179 patients undergoing living donor nephrectomy for renal transplantation. We performed preoperative studies, including blood ABO type, optimum HLA typing, renal arteriography, check of child-bearing age, excretory urography and a DTPA renal scan for differential renal function. RESULTS: Of the 179 patients, 139 underwent donor nephrectomy on the left side, and 40 on the right side. Of the 139 patients undergoing surgery on the left side, 135 had a single renal artery, with the other 4 having both left and right multiple renal arteries. Of the 40 patients undergoing surgery on the right side, 18 had a right single renal artery, with multiple left renal arteries. Of all the patients, 15 were of child-bearing aged women, 1 had a left double ureter and 6 had a better functioning kidney on the left side inform the DTPA renal scan. CONCLUSIONS: A DTPA renal scan for the evaluation of differential renal function contributed to our decision, especially in making surgical selection criteria of laterality, in order to reserve the better functioning kidney in donors.