Polymer clips (Hem-o-lok®) for Renal Vessel Control in Laparoscopic Living Donor Nephrectomy: 12 years of experience in a Tertiary Care Center

Objective: To describe our experience using polymer clips (Hem-o-lok®) for renal vessel control in laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN). Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective and descriptive analysis from our database of all minimally invasive living donor nephrectomies (hand-assisted and pure laparoscopic) performed from 2008 to 2020 in our institution. We included patients who underwent LLDN using polymer clips (Hem-o-lok®) for vascular control of renal arteries and veins, and whose clinical records were complete. Results: 330 LLDN were performed, 183 (55.5%) were hand-assisted nephrectomies and 147 (44.5%) were pure laparoscopic nephrectomies. Mean warm ischemia time (WIT) was 3.98 minutes and median of estimated blood loss (EBL) was 100±140 ml. Four patients (1.2%) required conversion to an open procedure due to vascular injury. 31 complications (9.3%) were registered, of which 23 (6.9%) were non-life-threatening complications. No deaths nor loss of renal grafts were reported. Limitations: the main drawbacks of this study are its retrospective nature, and that it is limited to only one center. Originality and value: It is a study that questions the contraindication issued by the FDA for the use of polymer clips for vascular control in LLDN, demonstrating its use is a safe and effective option. Conclusion The use of polymer clips, specifically Hem-o-lok®, is a safe method for vascular control of the renal hilum vessels in laparoscopic living donor nephrectomies.