Surgery for aortoiliac aneurysm after kidney transplant

Although aortoiliac aneurysm in kidney transplant patients is uncommon, aortic clamping during the surgical repair of an aneurysm could pose a risk to the grafted kidney and might also increase the risk of vascular prosthesis infection due to immunosuppression. Herein, we present our results related to the treatment of the aortoiliac aneurysm subsequent to kidney transplant. Four male kidney transplant recipients underwent surgery for aortoiliac aneurysm repair. In the first patient, we protected the kidney graft by perfusion with cold physiological saline. No such protective measures were taken in the remaining three patients other than reducing warm ischemia to a minimum. In one patient with occlusive disease and impaired graft function, renal function improved after surgery. In the other three patients renal function was unaffected by surgery. Despite immunosuppression, no infection of the prostheses was observed. Surgery for aortoiliac aneurysm can be safely performed in kidney transplant patients. No ischemic damage is incurred by the graft and perioperative infection can be easily avoided. The need to protect the graft during the surgical procedure should be evaluated in each individual case according to predicted times of ischemia and vascular reconstruction and preoperative graft function.