Minimally invasive kidney transplantation.

Minimally invasive kidney transplantation (MIKT) procedures, starting with lymphocele fenestration and continuing with laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, have been performed in recipients since 2006. From November 2011 to May 2012, we performed 86 consecutive renal transplantation with 43 conventional kidney transplantations (COKT) and 43 MIKTs using an apendectomy like, 4 to 5-cm incision. There were no significant differences between the groups according to age, sex, body mass index, donor type, surgical side, donor kidney or artery number. Mean operative time in the MIKT group was 164.2 minutes versus 153.5 minutes in the COKT group. The cold ischemia times in MIKT and COKT groups were 60.8 and 63.3 minutes, respectively. The lengths of hospital stay, blood creatinine levels at postoperative days 7, 30, and 90, and the 90th day creatinine clearances were similar. In conclusion, considering that the complication rate was equal and the graft functions equal, MIKT seemed to be a safe method for renal transplantation.