The Effect of the Kidney of Temporary Compression of Its Vessels

PURPOSE Considerable difference of opinion exists among surgeons in regard to the advisability of compressing the renal vessels to control hemorrhage during nephrotomy. Some maintain that in addition to the temporary functional disturbance,1,2which often follows such compression, the anemia so produced causes serious and permanent degenerative changes of the parenchyma. At a recent meeting of the Chicago Urological Society Dr. A. D. Bevan stated that it would be of considerable interest to observe experimentally what effect such temporary interruption of the blood-supply of the kidney has on its parenechyma. Our investigation was undertaken to observe how long the circulation through the renal vessels can be completely obstructed, without causing permanent degencrative changes in the kidney. This question is not only of interest to the pathologist, but is of even greater importance to those surgeons who believe in employing one of the various methods of compressing the renal