Donor horseshoe kidneys for transplantation

Experience with donor horseshoe kidneys for transplantation is very limited. Currently, horseshoe kidneys may be underutilized for transplantation because of the greater incidence of vascular anomalies, associated renal anomalies, and predisposition to renal disease. In this report, we review five transplantations using horseshoe kidneys: the largest reported institutional experience. In addition, a review of all published cases in the English literature is performed. All five patients underwent successful renal transplantations with a median follow-up of 35 months. One patient lost his kidney from recurrent disease soon after transplantation. With appropriate reconstruction of the vessels, careful division of the isthmus, and avoidance of ureteral obstruction, long-term data revealed good graft survival of donor horseshoe kidneys in renal transplantation.