Laparoscopy for living donor left nephrectomy: Comparison of three‐dimensional and two‐dimensional vision

The main objective of this preliminary study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of 3‐D laparoscopic living donor left nephrectomy (LDLN). The secondary objective was to compare intraoperative and postoperative outcomes between 3‐D and 2‐D laparoscopic LDLN. All patients who underwent a laparoscopic LDLN from January 2015 to April 2018 in a university center were included. All surgeries were performed by three experienced surgeons. Seventy three patients were included the following: 16 underwent a 3‐D laparoscopic LDLN (3‐D group), and 57 underwent a 2‐D laparoscopic LDLN (2‐D group). Operative time and warm ischemia time (WIT) were significantly lower in the 3‐D group (operative time: 80.9 ± 10.2 vs 114.1 ± 32.3 minutes in the 3‐D and 2‐D groups, P = .0002) (WIT: 1.7 ± 0.6 vs 2.3 ± 0.9 minutes in the 3‐D and 2‐D groups, P = .02). No conversion to open surgery occurred in both groups. Length of hospital stay was significantly shorter in the 3‐D group. No major postoperative complications (Clavien ≥ III) occurred. One‐year postoperative GFR was similar to 3‐D and 2‐D groups. Our preliminary study demonstrates that 3‐D laparoscopic LDLN is a feasible and safe surgical procedure. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were similar in both 2‐D and 3‐D vision systems, but 3‐D vision systems allow reduction in WIT and operative time.