What is laparoscopic donor nephrectomy?
Most patients who donate a kidney qualify for laparoscopic donor nephrectomy, which uses minimally invasive procedures to remove the kidney. Surgeons insert a small scope connected to a video camera into the donor’s abdomen. The kidney is detached using additional instruments inserted through very small holes. The kidney is removed through a 2 to 3-inch incision in the middle of the abdomen. Patients typically experience less postoperative pain, and quicker recovery, without harming the function of the donor kidney. Beth Israel Deaconess transplant surgeons are particularly skilled in this laparoscopic procedure, which they perform in one of the medical center’s advanced endosuites for minimally invasive surgery.
