Comparison of Minimal Skin Incision Technique in Living Kidney Transplantation and Conventional Kidney Transplantation

Abstract

Background: Recently, the most common incision for kidney transplantation (KT) is an inverted J-shaped incision known as the “hockey-stick.” However, demands for minimally invasive surgery in KT are increasing as in other various fields of surgery. Hence, we evaluated whether there is difference between minimal skin incision technique in kidney transplantation (MIKT) and conventional KT (CKT) . Methods: Between June 2006 and March 2013, a total of 452 living kidney transplant patients were enrolled. The MIKT group included 17 young unmarried women whose body mass index was 0.05). The 5-year graft survival was 92.3% and 85.7% in MIKT and CKT groups, respectively (P = 0.786). Conclusions: Our results indicated that MIKT showed more favorable cosmetic results, and there were no statistical differences in various postoperative factors including graft function, survival, and complications compared with CKT. Hence, we suggested that MIKT is an appropriate method for selected patients in living KT.

Keywords

• Kidney Transplantation; Minimal Skin Incision; Conventional Kidney Transplantation