Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site (LESS) versus Standard Laparoscopic Left Donor Nephrectomy: Matched-pair Comparison

Background

Laparo-Endoscopic Single Site (LESS) surgery is a recent development in minimally invasive surgery. Presented herein is the initial comparison of LESS donor nephrectomy (LESS-DN) and standard laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy (LLDN).

Objective

To determine whether LESS-DN provides any measurable benefit over LLDN during the perioperative period and subsequent convalescence.

Design, setting, and participants

Between November 2007 and November 2008, 18 consecutive patients underwent LESS-DN (17 left DN, 1 right DN). A contemporary matched-pair cohort of 17 patients undergoing standard LLDN was selected for retrospective comparison.

Interventions

LESS-DN was performed through an intraumbilical novel multichannel port. The kidney was extracted through a slightly extended umbilical incision.

Measurements

All data were prospectively accrued in an institutional review board–approved database. Convalescence data included visual analog pain scores and questionnaires containing patient-reported time to recovery end points.

Results and limitations

One right-sided donor was converted to standard laparoscopy and excluded from analysis. Baseline demographics, operating time, blood loss, and hospital stay were comparable between groups. Compared to LLDN, patients undergoing LESS-DN had similar in-hospital analgesic requirements and mean visual analog scores at discharge. After discharge, patient-reported convalescence was faster in the LESS-DN group, including days on oral pain medication (20 vs 6; p = 0.01), days off work (46 vs 18; p = 0.0009), and days to 100% physical recovery (83 vs 29; p = 0.03). Mean warm ischemia time was longer in the LESS-DN group (3 vs 6.1 min; p < 0.0001); however, allograft function was immediate and comparable between groups. One allograft in the LESS-DN group thrombosed postoperatively. Regardless of laparoscopic approach, patients’ global satisfaction with kidney donation and willingness to recommend their procedure to others were favorable and equivalent between groups.

Conclusions

This retrospective matched-pair comparison between LESS-DN and LLDN suggests that the single-port approach may be associated with quicker convalescence. In this initial series, LESS-DN had longer ischemia time, yet early allograft outcomes were comparable.