Endourological management of live donors with urolithiasis at the time of donor nephrectomy: a single center experience.

PURPOSE

Live related renal donors with urolithiasis are made suitable for renal transplantation in two-stage procedure in most of the centers: first making the donor kidney stone free surgically or by ESWL and then proceeding to renal transplantation. To reduce the cost and morbidity of two surgical procedures in donors, we did a pilot study of removing subcentimeter renal calculi in live donors, after explanting the kidney, during bench surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We included all prospective renal donors with subcentimeter (4-10 mm) calculi in one kidney in our study (n = 14). All these patients underwent standard donor evaluation and metabolic work up. After the donor nephrectomy, bench retrograde intra-renal surgery (RIRS) with or without pyelotomy was done for stone clearance followed by renal transplantation.

RESULTS

Stone clearance was achieved in 13 out of 14 donors. Donors and recipients were followed for 6-24 months. No stone recurrence or graft dysfunction was seen in the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION

We concluded that bench RIRS is an excellent modality in the management of small renal calculi in prospective renal donors who are not having metabolically active disease. This reduced the cost and morbidity to the donor and minimized waiting time for transplant.