LIVING DONOR NEPHRECTOMY - COMPLICATION RATES IN 490 CONSECUTIVE CASES

490 living donor nephrectomies were performed during a 25-year period, all through a retroperitoneal approach. In this report, short-term complications and donor renal function are analysed. There was no mortality. The major complication rate was 1.4 %. There were 5 cases of postoperative haemorrhage requiring reoperation, one of which developed non-A-non-B hepatitis. There was one case each of septicemia and pulmonary embolism. All these patients recovered. Minor complications were noted in 13.6% of the cases, mostly bacteriuria or minor pulmonary infiltrates. There were 5 cases of reversible heart disorders and 6 cases of mental disorders. After 6-12 months, all donors had satisfactory function of the remaining kidney, which had increased its GFR by 32-38 %. We conclude that the short-term consequences of donor nephrectomy are acceptable. From previous reports, from this unit and from others. it is evident that the procedure does not carry any definite long-term health risks. With a permanent shortage of cadaveric organs and with continued superiority in the outcome of living donor transplantations, this important resource should not be disregarded.