Comparison of outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic to open donor nephrectomy for pediatric recipients

The purpose of this study is to compare the outcome of pediatric recipients of kidneys procured using a hand-assisted laparoscopic (HALDN group) to an open technique (ODN group). Twenty-eight patients ≤18 yr old (HALDN group) were compared with 17 patients (ODN group). The serum creatinine for HALDN and ODN groups at discharge were 0.93 ± 0.48 and 0.94 ± 0.54 mg/dL (p = 0.917), respectively. The serum creatinine for HALDN and ODN groups at six and 12 months was 1.01 ± 0.44 and 1.11 ± 0.55, and 1.04 ± 0.52 and 1.14 ± 0.46 mg/dL (p = 0.516, p = 0.554), respectively. The eGFR for HALDN and ODN groups at discharge was 108.66 ± 37.23 and 106.1 ± 50.55 mL/min/1.73 m² (p = 0.845), respectively. The eGFR for HALDN and ODN groups at six and 12 months was 97.77 ± 28.25 and 81.73 ± 27.46, and 94.56 ± 28.3 and 85.74 ± 30.1 mL/min/1.73 m2 (p = 0.085, p = 0.344), respectively. The patient and graft survival for both groups were 100% at 12 months post-transplant. In conclusion, the short-term outcome of recipients of kidneys procured via HALDN is comparable to that of kidneys procured via ODN in pediatric patients.