Renal vein extension using an autologous renal vein in a living donor with double inferior vena cava: a case report

Abstract

Background: When the kidney from a living donor with a double inferior vena cava (IVC) is harvested for renal transplantation, the short length of the renal vein may eventually create a technical problem for graft implantation. Herein, we have reported a rare case of renal vein extension using an autologous renal vein in a living donor with a double IVC.

Case report: A 70-year-old man with end-stage renal disease owing to autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease underwent a living donor kidney graft from his wife who had a double IVC. Because of the enlarged kidneys, the patient underwent a bilateral native nephrectomy with concomitant renal transplantation to create space in the pelvis. At nephrectomy, the recipient's renal vein was used to extend the donor renal vein. On the back table, the vein graft was sutured to the donor renal vein, permitting a 3.0-cm extension.

Results: The transplantation was performed safely without any complications; the recipient's renal function and blood flow were excellent after the operation.

Conclusion: This case illustrated that an autologous renal vein graft is a preferable option to extend of short donor renal vein for recipients who require a simultaneous native nephrectomy.