Retrograde flushing of living donor renal allografts via the renal vein: A simple, effective technique

Prograde flushing (PF) of living donor renal allografts with preservation solution via the renal artery or arteries is standard practice. PF may be difficult and potentially injurious to the donor kidney, especially in grafts with small or multiple arteries. In this report, we present our experience with retrograde flushing (RF) of 7 living donor kidneys via the renal vein.Methods. Retrospective review of 7 consecutive living donor renal transplants performed using the RF technique was performed. The 7 preceding living donor renal transplants performed using the standard arterial PF technique served as a control group. Results. All 7 recipients of RF kidneys experienced immediate graft function. At postoperative days 3 and 30, there was no difference in estimated glomerular filtration rate between the RF study group and PF controls. Conclusions. The RF technique is simple and safe, with results equivalent to the PF technique. The RF technique may be especially useful after recovering kidneys with small and/or multiple arteries.