Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy
BIDMC offers living-donor laparoscopic nephrectomy (kidney removal) using minimally invasive technique. This procedure uses a small scope, connected to a video camera, that surgeons insert into the patient's abdomen. The kidney is detached using additional instruments inserted through very small holes and then removed through a 3- to 4-inch incision in the middle of the abdomen. Donors who qualify for this procedure are spared a long incision, rib removal to reach the kidney, and lengthy hospitalization and recuperation time. They often experience significantly reduced postoperative pain and much shorter recovery time without jeopardizing the function of the donated kidney.
