Abstract

Background: Kidney transplantation is the treatment of choice for patients with the end-stage renal disease. Urinary complications used to be common after renal transplantation. Usually ureteral stricture, urine leak or both are observed. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the number of urinary complications following renal transplantation in our centre.
Material/Methods: One hundred and seventy two patients received cadaveric renal transplants between January 1, 2006 and August 31, 2008. Data on donors, recipients and operative technique was collected. Urinary complications were analysed. The follow-up was completed on November 30, 2008. All patients were followed-up for three to thirty five months.
Results: Average 1-year graft survival was 86.9% for the whole group and the
mean creatinine concentration was 1.58 ml/dl. One case of primary nonfunction was observed (0.6%). Most of the ureterovesical anastomoses were performed by using the single-stitch technique (81.9%). In 21 cases, anastomoses were completed with Lich-Gregoir technique (12.3%). In two cases, two ureters were found and one anastomosis was completed with single-stitch technique and second with continuous suture in both cases. Eight patients had atypical ureterovesical anastomosis. Urinary complication was suspected in 7 cases (4.1%). In 5 cases (2.9%) surgical intervention was necessary. Ureteral necrosis was observed in 3 cases (1.7%) and urine leak in the anastomosis in 1 case (0.6%). The anastomosis at re-intervention in these four cases was completed by single-stitch technique. The difference in urinary complications in regard to ureterovesical anastomosis technique was not significant.
Conclusions: Urinary complications are infrequent in our centre and independent of the surgical technique.

Keywords: Kidney Transplantation