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Introduction: Peritoneal fenestration is an effective preventive method for reducing the rate of lymphatic complications in kidney transplantation (KTx). The size of the fenestration plays an important role in its effectiveness. A large peritoneal window is no longer indicated, due to herniation and difficulties in performing biopsies. Small preventive fenestration is effective but will be closed too early. The aim of this study is to evaluate whether metal clips around the edges of a small fenestration result in optimal effects with minimum fenestration size., Methods and Analysis: This trial has been initiated in July 2019 and is expected to last for 2 and a half years. All patients older than 18 years, who receive kidneys from deceased donors, will be included. The kidney recipients will be randomly allocated to either a control arm (small fenestration alone) or an intervention arm (small fenestration with clipping). All fenestrations will be round, maximum 2 cm, and close to the kidney hilum. Clipping will be performed with eight metal clips around the peritoneal window (360°) in every 45° in an oblique position. The primary endpoint is the incidence of symptomatic post-KTx lymphatic complications, which require interventional treatment within 6 months after KTx. Secondary endpoints are intraoperative and postoperative outcomes, including blood loss, operation time, severity grade of lymphocele/lymphorrhea and relative symptoms., Ethics and Dissemination: This protocol study received approval from the Ethics Committee of the University of Heidelberg (Registration Number S-318/2017). A Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials checklist is available for this protocol. The results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations., Trial Registration Number: ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03682627)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Context: Studies on the surgical outcome in living kidney donors mainly report perioperative complications with short follow-up., Objective: The objectives of this study are to evaluate the long-term surgical outcome in living kidney donors and to identify donors with an increased risk for a complicated postoperative course., Basic Procedures: A prospectively collected database of 496 living kidney donors at the Department of General, Visceral, and Transplantation Surgery of the Ruprecht Karls University Heidelberg was retrospectively analyzed in a retrospective, observational single-center study., Results: The median follow-up time was 37 months. The perioperative severe complication (Clavien-Dindo IIIb) rate was 2.8%, the early postoperative (PO) severe complication rate (1-3 months post operation) was 0.7%, and the late PO severe complication rate (> 3 months post operation) was 8.4%. In multivariate analyses, male sex was associated with higher overall perioperative complication rate (odds ratio [OR], 1.930; P = .005) as well as higher rate of late PO complications (OR, 2.243; P = .014). An increased body mass index was associated with a higher late and severe (Clavien-Dindo ≥ IIIb) PO complication rate (OR, 1.107; P = .009 and OR, 1.105; P = .008, respectively)., Conclusions and Relevance: Long-term surgery-associated severe complications occur in 8.4% of kidney donors. Older age is associated with an increased operative time, greater intraoperative blood loss, and longer PO hospital stay. Male donors and donors with an increased body mass index have a higher risk for a complicated PO course after kidney donation. Within a shared decision-making process before living kidney donation, special awareness should be brought to these facts., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Incidence of wound complications after kidney transplantation (KTx) is still considerable. Here, we report the impact of prophylactic absorbable polyglactin (Vicryl®) mesh reinforcement on the incidence of short-term post-KTx wound complications. Sixty-nine patients were analyzed; 23 with and 46 without preventive onlay mesh reinforcement. Surgical site infections (SSI) were seen in six (26%) patients in the mesh group and in 17 (37%) patients in no-mesh group. A lower, but not statistically significant, rate of early postoperative wound complications occurred in the mesh group. Wound complications were observed in seven (30%) patients in the mesh group and in 23 (50%) patients in the no-mesh group. There was no association between mesh placement and SSI incidence (odds ratios [OR] 0.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.20-1.82, p = 0.369) and wound complications (OR 0.44, 95% CI 0.15-1.26, p = 0.126). Therefore, we conclude that mesh reinforcement does not increase the risk of SSI and overall wound complications. Long-term outcomes have to be evaluated in a randomized trial setting. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 108B:67-72, 2020., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

BACKGROUND The pre-procurement pancreas suitability score (P-PASS) and the pancreas donor risk index (pDRI) are established predictive scores for graft survival and patient outcome following pancreatic transplantation. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of P-PASS and pDRI following simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK) transplantation, or pancreas after kidney (PAK) transplantation, and the clinical impact of donor-specific factors on the postoperative graft and recipient outcome at a single transplant center. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 105 patients who underwent SPK (n=104) or PAK (n=4) between 2000 and 2017. Donor-specific and recipient-specific parameters were recorded. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox regression analysis were used to assess the outcome after transplantation. RESULTS Overall, the mean 1-year and 5-year pancreas graft survival and patient survival rates were 78.7% and 93.2%, and 76.9% and 90.0%, respectively. The postoperative outcome in patients with a P-PASS score of <17 was not significantly different when compared with patients with a score of ≥17. A P-PASS score of ≥17 was significantly associated with early pancreas graft loss (p=0.04). There was no significant difference in postoperative outcome between patients with high pDRI and low pDRI. Smoking of donor (p=0.046) was a risk factor and coronary heart disease of recipient (p=0.003) had a significant effect on survival of pancreas graft. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that P-PASS and pDRI were not reliable predictors of outcome after pancreas transplantation and that specific characteristics of the donor and recipient must be evaluated when predicting the outcome of pancreas transplantation.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the independent risk factors of vascular and haemorrhagic complications after kidney transplantation (KTx) and to evaluate how the surgeon's experience affects the rate of vascular and haemorrhagic complications., Methods: After exclusion of paediatric and multi-organ transplantations, 1462 KTx operations between 2000 and 2016 were analysed. Independent risk factors were evaluated by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The generalised estimating equation logit model was used to display learning curve progression and determine the best cut off number of KTx operations to reduce vascular and haemorrhagic complications., Results: Vascular and haemorrhagic complications occurred in 38 KTx cases (2.6%). Renal vein thrombosis was the most common complication (0.6%). Graft loss occurred in 11 of 38 (28.9%) cases. Donor age of >60 years (OR 3.687, 95% CI 1.663-8.175, p = 0.001), recipient cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR 2.270, 95% CI 1.071-4.810, p = 0.032), and surgeon's experience (OR 0.875, 95% CI 0.783-0.977, p = 0.018) were independent predictors of vascular and haemorrhagic complications. Twenty-six previous KTx operations are needed to decrease predicted probability of post-KTx vascular and haemorrhagic complications below 2.6%., Conclusions: The surgeon's experience is an independent risk factor for vascular and haemorrhagic complications after KTx. Acceptable post-operative vascular and haemorrhagic complications are achieved after a minimum of 26 KTx. As a donor age of >60 years and recipient CVD are also independent risk factors for vascular and haemorrhagic complications, it is suggested that these patients should preferably be operated on by surgeons who have performed more than 26 KTx operations., (Copyright © 2018 European Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Hand-assisted laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (HALDN) using a periumbilical or Pfannenstiel incision was developed to improve donor outcome after a kidney transplant. The aim of this study was to investigate two methods of hand assistance and kidney removal during HALDN and their effect on the time it takes for the donor to return to normal physical activity., Methods/design: This study was initiated in November 2017 and is expected to last for 2 years. To be eligible for the study, donors must be more than 20 years of age and must not be receiving permanent pain therapy. Only donors with a single artery and vein in the graft are being enrolled in this trial. Donors with infections or scars in the periumbilical or hypogastric area, bleeding disorders, chronic use of immunosuppressive agents, or active infection will be excluded. Donors will be randomly allocated to either a control arm (periumbilical incision) or an intervention arm (Pfannenstiel incision). The sample size was calculated as 26 organ donors in each group. The primary endpoint is the number of days it takes the donor to return to normal physical activity (up to 4 weeks after the operation). Secondary endpoints are intraoperative outcomes, including estimated blood loss, warm ischemia time, and duration of the operation. Postoperative pain will be assessed using the visual analog scale, rescue analgesic use, and peak expiratory flow rate. Length of hospital stay, physical activity score, time to return to work, donor satisfaction, cosmetic score, postoperative complications, and all-cause mortality in living donors will also be reported. Delayed graft function, primary non-function, serum creatinine levels, and glomerular filtration rate will also be assessed in the recipients after transplantation., Discussion: This is the first randomized controlled trial to compare the time it takes the living donor to return to normal physical activity after HALDN using two different types of incision. The comprehensive findings of this study will help decide which nephrectomy procedure is best for living donors with regard to patient comfort and satisfaction as well as graft function in the recipient after transplantation., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03317184 . Registered on 23 October 2017.

Lymphocele is a common complication following kidney transplantation (KTx). We aimed to evaluate the preventive effect of peritoneal fenestration during KTx in reducing lymphocele. From January 2001, the data of all KTx were prospectively gathered in our digital data bank. From 2008, preventive peritoneal fenestration was performed as a routine procedure for all patients with KTx. Between 2001 and 2008, 579 KTx were performed without preventive peritoneal fenestration. To compare the results between with and without peritoneal fenestration, the same number of patients after 2008 (579 patients) was included in this study. The pre-, intra-, and postoperative data of the patients in these two groups were analyzed and compared, especially regarding the postoperative different types of lymphocele formation. The mean recipient age was 52.6 ± 13.8, and 33.7% of the patients were female. Type C lymphocele was significantly lower in the group with preventive fenestration (5.3% vs. 8.8%, p = 0.014 for 31/579 vs. 51/579). Peritoneal dialysis and implantation of the kidney in the left fossa were independently associated with a higher rate of type C lymphocele (OR 2.842, 95% CI 1.354–5.967, p = 0.006 and OR 3.614, 95% CI 1.215–10.747, p = 0.021, respectively). The results of this study showed that intraoperative preventive peritoneal fenestration could significantly reduce type C lymphocele. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphatic complications after kidney transplantation (KTx) are associated with morbidities such as impaired wound healing, thrombosis, and organ failure. Recently, a consensus regarding the definition and severity grading of lymphoceles has been suggested. The aim of the present study was to validate this classification method. All adult patients who underwent KTx between December 2011 and September 2016 in our department were evaluated regarding lymphoceles that were diagnosed within 6 months after KTx based on the recent definition. Patients with lymphoceles were categorized according to the classification criteria, and clinical outcomes were compared between the groups. In our department, a total of 587 patients underwent KTx between 2011 and 2016. Lymphoceles were detected after KTx in 90 patients (15.3%). Among these patients, 24 (26.6%) had grade A lymphoceles, 14 (15.6%) had grade B, and 52 (57.8%) had grade C. The median duration times of intermediate care (IMC) and hospital stay were significantly higher among patients with grade C lymphoceles than they were among patients with grade A and B lymphoceles. Significantly more patients with grade C lymphoceles were readmitted to the hospital for treatment. The recently published definition and severity grading of lymphoceles after KTx is an easy-to-use and valid classification system, which may facilitate the comparison of results from different studies on lymphoceles after KTx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]