Minimal incision ipsilateral dual kidney transplantation

Objective: Dual kidney transplantation (DKT) was developed because allows the utilization of suboptimal kidneys procured from extended criteria donors. Compared to single kidney transplant, DKT is a demanding procedure, with higher risk of complications1–3.In 2006, a mini-invasive technique has been introduced in single kidney transplant, using a minimal incision of 5-8 cm oflength4–7.We describe a novel minimally invasive technique of ipsilateral dual kidney transplantation, using a 8 cm of length mini-incision. Patients and methods: The patient was a 67-year-old male, with an end-stage renal disease secondary to a glomerulonephritis, who received two kidneys from a 73-year-old woman, deceased for subarachnoid haemorrhage. Pre-transplant renal biopsies showed a Remuzzi–Karpinski score of 4 and 5. Results: Surgical time was 220 min. Warm ischemia times were of 33 min and 31 min, respectively. Post-operative course was uneventful and on POD 11, the patient was discharged in good condition with a normal renal function (creatinine level: 1.0 mg/dl).He remains in healthy conditions with regular kidney function after eighteen months of follow-up. Conclusions: Minimal incision ipsilateral dual kidney transplantation (MIDKT) seems technically feasible. Surgical time and warm ischemia times were comparable to those obtained using the conventional technique. Reduced post-operative pain, cosmetic result, absence of complications and good graft function seem promising.MIDKT seems to add the positive aspects of a conventional surgery as the easy achievability and the low costs, to those of a mini-invasive surgery, such as reduced trauma, reduced pain, better cosmetic and faster recovery.