Brief report: successful extension of the transplant renal vein with a synthetic vascular graft.

Unexpected intraoperative vascular complications in the graft of the recipient during organ transplantation can be most vexing and require immediate attention and careful management so as not to impair the integrity and fate of the graft. We were confronted with a diabetic recipient with total fibrosis of the left iliac vein, patent inferior vena cava, totally and circumferentially calcified aorta and left iliac artery with the exception of a small area in the distal external iliac artery. The problem was solved by anastomosing the artery low onto the external iliac, and by interposing a venous polytetrafluoroethylene vascular graft between the renal vein and the inferior vena cava. The kidney function was excellent for 2 years but the patient succumbed to unrelated liver complications. A second patient with a renal vein PTFE graft has had normal graft function for 10 years. Probably because of the high blood flow through the kidney, venous synthetic grafts can be successfully used to correct venous problems during kidney transplantation.