Minimally invasive renal auto-transplantation: the first report.

Background: Regarding transplant surgery, the minimally invasive revolution was started in 1995 by laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (L-LDN). In 2006, we made the first report on a minimally invasive technique for kidney transplantation; restricted to a 7-9 cm transverse incision targeted on the anastomotic area of the iliac vessels, and with the meticulously prepared kidney placed in a fitting, retroperitoneal pouch lateral to the skin incision.

Materials And Methods: By combining "hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy" and "minimally invasive kidney transplantation" - using the same incision (7-8 cm) for hand-assistance, kidney harvesting, and transplantation - we have during 2009 conducted "minimally invasive renal auto-transplantation" in two patients.

Minimally invasive kidney transplantation: the first experience.

Minimally invasive procedures in recent years have gained widespread acceptance. Within the field of transplantation, laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN), requiring a 6- to 10-cm incision, is now considered the optimal procedure. According to recent MEDLINE searches, no minimally invasive technique has been reported for kidney transplantation.

Laparoscopic versus open living-donor nephrectomy: experiences from a prospective, randomized, single-center study focusing on donor safety.

Background: Very few randomized studies on laparoscopic (L) versus open (O) living-donor nephrectomy (LDN) have been presented. The largest randomized series reported so far included 80 donors. In 2000, an Australian safety group concluded that the evidence base for L-LDN is inadequate to make recommendations regarding safety and efficacy.

Improvement of post-transplant lymphocele treatment in the laparoscopic era.

Post-transplant lymphoceles are a common problem after renal transplantation, often inflicting the graft or adjacent iliac veins. Since 1991, there have been many reports on laparoscopic fenestration as the treatment of choice, but no larger series has been presented. At our department, 63 laparoscopic procedures were performed between 1993 and 2001 among 1502 renal graft recipients.