Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) is increasingly performed worldwide; however, long-term data on renal outcomes in living kidney donors remain limited. This case series evaluates renal function trends following LDN at a tertiary care center. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 38 living kidney donors who underwent LDN. Renal function was assessed using serum creatinine, creatinine clearance (CCR) calculated by the Cockcroft-Gault formula, and DTPA renogram findings measured preoperatively, on postoperative day 2 (POD-2), and at the final follow-up. Statistical comparisons were performed using paired t-tests. The mean donor age was 45.2 ± 12.3 years, with 22 male and 16 female donors. Mean serum creatinine increased from 0.89 ± 0.10 mg/dL preoperatively to 1.24 ± 0.21 mg/dL on POD-2 and stabilized at 1.18 ± 0.18 mg/dL at long-term follow-up. Mean CCR declined from 104.6 ± 21.5 mL/min preoperatively to 74.6 ± 14.5 mL/min on POD-2, with partial recovery to 82.0 ± 16.0 mL/min at follow-up. Renal function was preserved in 88.2% of donors on POD-2 and in 90.2% at the final follow-up. These findings indicate that most donors maintain stable renal function following LDN. Creatinine clearance serves as a cost-free and effective parameter for donor evaluation and for tailoring postoperative monitoring and long-term follow-up. Overall, LDN appears to be a safe procedure when appropriate donor selection and structured follow-up are employed.
Racheruvu et al. (Fri,) studied this question.