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Laparoscopic Living Kidney Donation

For over 30 years, living kidney donation has been performed through a large flank incision. This incision extends around the side from the umbilicus to the back and can be as large as 18 inches long. This type of surgery has stood the test of time, is safe and produces a good-quality kidney. Unfortunately, it is also fairly painful and most patients are laid up for several weeks and may not be back to full function for several months. A new way of doing the operation has been developed and is known as laparoscopically assisted nephrectomy. Instead of one big incision, three or four small incisions, each no bigger than one-quarter to one-half inch, are made as seen in the picture below. An incision of about three-and-a-half inches is made low in the groin in order to remove the kidney.

Laparoscopic instruments and a camera can be inserted through the small holes (called "ports") and the surgery can be performed with these long instruments by viewing on a video screen.

The entire surgical procedure is performed in this manner, with the kidney finally being removed through the small incision in the groin.

Because the incisions are smaller and because they are placed in such a way as to minimize disrupting muscle, patients experience less pain and are back to full function in a week or two.

It must be emphasized that this procedure is still new, but results with the first several hundred patients seem to indicate that it is safe, beneficial for patients and produces just as good a kidney as the open procedure.

The Maine Medical Center surgical team is the most experienced in New England. They are working to make sure the gift of life is a reality for as many patients as possible.