Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy—Technique and peri‐operative outcomes in an Australian transplant center

Introduction Demand for donor kidneys far exceeds the availability of organs from deceased donors. Living donor kidneys are an important part of addressing this shortfall, and laparoscopic nephrectomy is an important strategy to reduce donor morbidity and increase the acceptability of living donation. Aim To retrospectively review the intraoperative and postoperative safety, technique, and outcomes of patients undergoing donor nephrectomy at a single tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Method Retrospective capture and analysis of clinical, demographic, and operative data for all living donor nephrectomies performed between 2007 and 2022 at a single University Hospital in Sydney, Australia. Results Four hundred and seventy‐two donor nephrectomies were performed: 471 were laparoscopic, two of which were converted from laparoscopic to open and hand‐assisted nephrectomy, respectively, and one (.2%) underwent primary open nephrectomy. The mean warm ischemia time was 2.8 min (±1.3 SD, median 3 min, range 2–8 min) and the mean length of stay (LOS) was 4.1 days (±1.0 SD). The mean renal function on discharge was 103 μmol/L (±23.0 SD). Seventy‐seven (16%) patients had a complication with no Clavien Dindo IV or V complications seen. Outcomes demonstrated no impact of donor age, gender, kidney side, relationship to the recipient, vascular complexity; or surgeon experience, on complication rate or LOS. Conclusion Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy is a safe and effective procedure with minimal morbidity and no mortality in this series.