Vid’s first minimally invasive surgery on kidney donor done in city

Nagpur: Laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, a latest surgical process in which kidney is removed using a scope or camera and special miniaturized surgical instruments, was performed for the first time in Vidarbha on Thursday at a hospital in the city.
This surgery ensured that the kidney donor suffered least amount of pain, and will recover very soon as compared to the traditional kidney removal operation.
Surgeon at Wockhardt Hospital Dr Sanjay Kolte who performed the surgery told TOI that the latest technique is boon for the living kidney donors and will encourage many to donate kidneys to save lives of their near ones. In this particular case, a 69-year-old woman donated her kidney to her 35-year-old son.
The kidney was removed from the donor without using the traditional open surgical process. “The kidney was freed using ports and removed through a very small 2 inch incision in the lower abdomen. This minimally invasive procedure has a shorter recovery period and the complication rate is very low. In addition, the quality and functions of the transplanted kidney are excellent,” said Dr Kolte.
Traditionally, a live donor nephrectomy (old process of kidney removal) requires a healthy individual as the donor. The donor has to undergo a major operation where the kidney is removed through a 6 to 8 inch incision in the abdomen. This procedure is associated with significant pain and a substantial recuperation period for the donor.
In contrast, the laparoscopic donor nephrectomy ensures good quality of life and no cosmetic loss to the donor. In addition, donor gets discharged from hospital within three days and returns to normal activity almost three weeks earlier.
In the procedure, the kidney is freed using 4 ports and removed through an incision in the lower abdomen. The transplant surgeon immediately prepares the kidney and places it in the recipient. Results (graft survival) have been comparable to kidneys removed via traditional open surgery.
Dr Kolate’s team included Dr Sameer Chaube (nephrologist), Dr Bhau Torsekar and Dr Nishant Bawankule (anaesthetists) and Dr Hazare (assistant).

In the procedure, the kidney is freed using 4 ports and removed through an incision in the lower abdomen of the donor. The transplant surgeon immediately prepares the kidney and places it in the recipient

Less waiting time | As kidney is removed through a very small incision, recovery is faster. Donor recovers within a few days
Shorter stay in hospital | As recovery is faster, donor need not stay in hospital for long time
Smaller incisions | As incisions are smaller, the scars, wounds, or marks are least visible after certain period of time. This is an important consideration for a large number of women who donate kidneys
Fewer post-op issues| As surgery is performed with miniaturized surgical instruments, there are least post-operative complications
Good for receiver | As the kidney is received from a live donor, the incidence of delayed graft function also lowers and eventually this improves patient and graft survival