Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy

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About the Procedure


Transplant
  • The surgical procedure: The laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is a less invasive technique for removing a kidney from a living donor for transplantation. The surgery involves the insertion of a laparoscope (surgical telescope) through three to five small incisions in the donor's abdomen. Using precision instruments that are inserted into the small openings, the surgeon prepares the donor's kidney for removal while simultaneously observing a magnified image on a TV monitor. When the kidney is ready for removal, the transplant surgeon gently removes the kidney through a small opening. The kidney is then prepared for transplantation into the recipient.

  • The benefits: This technique for kidney removal is a vast improvement on the traditional method of open nephrectomy, which requires a longer incision and occasionally the removal of a rib. The laparoscopic technique requires several smaller incisions to remove the kidney, allowing minimal disruption to the donor's abdominal wall. This results in less pain and scarring, a shorter hospital stay and a quicker recovery time for the donor.

  • Donor eligibility for laparoscopic nephrectomy: In order to be eligible for laparoscopic nephrectomy, the donor must first match with the recipient and be healthy enough to donate a kidney. Many factors are considered for one to be eligible for the laparoscopic approach, one being body size. Most patients are eligible for this type of surgery.

  • The need for organ donation: The current need for organ donation is great, with over 55,000 people on the national waiting list for a kidney. In our region, 1,200 people are waiting for a donor kidney. Most kidneys transplanted in the U.S. are from a deceased donor, which means they are removed from a person who has recently died. With kidney disease and kidney failure on the rise, the number of deceased donor organs that become available each year tends to remain relatively constant, making waiting lists longer and increasing the number of people who die waiting for a deceased donor kidney to become available. Living donor kidneys offer one way of bypassing the long waiting list. People who donate a kidney do not experience any ill effects aside from having surgery and often recover quickly.

  • MeritCare's Transplant Program: MeritCare Health System has provided kidney transplants since 1989 with a total of 325 transplants having taken place in the past 14 years. MeritCare Transplant Services currently provides both kidney and pancreas transplants. Transplant surgeon Dr. Bhargav Mistry has performed over 140 transplants since he joined MeritCare in the fall of 2000. The first laparoscopic donor nephrectomy was performed at MeritCare in February of 2002 by Dr. Monson and Dr. Mistry. Twenty-six additional laparoscopic nephrectomies have taken place since that time.