Right-sided or left-sided donor nephrectomy-is this really relevant?

Background In the context of living donation, the protection of the donor and the outcome are very important aspects. However, the side selection of the donor nephrectomy is also decisive. In this work, the basics of side selection and the question of whether there are differences regarding the left-sided or right-sided donor nephrectomy are considered. Materials and methods Living kidney donation data of our center between December 2004 and July 2019 were evaluated in terms of withdrawal side, complications and outcome, as well as the current literature in PubMed. Finally, the results from our center are compared with the current literature. Results During the investigation period, 152 live donations were carried out in our center. In these cases 66 patients had a left-sided and in 86 cases a right-sided donor nephrectomy. One transplant vein thrombosis occurred in each group. Complications and outcome were similar for the recipient in both groups. It was noticed in the current literature that generally more left-sided donor nephrectomies are performed, most likely due to the preference of the surgeon. Although a low significantly increased risk of transplant vein thrombosis after right-sided donor nephrectomy is described, all authors agree that right-sided donor nephrectomy is a safe procedure with good outcome. Conclusions Our own results and the current literature show that the right-sided donor nephrectomy is a safe procedure with only a slightly increased risk of complications compared to the left side and therefore can be recommended. It is clearly safe for the donor and organ, with an equivalent outcome for the recipient. The results are also dependent on the experience of the surgeon.