ABSTRACT Introduction: little is known on the risk factors, clinical presentation, therapeutic protocols, and outcomes of kidney transplantation recipients (KTRs) who become infected by SARS-CoV-2. Purpose: to provide an updated view regarding the early experience obtained from the management of KTRs with COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A narrative review was conducted using PubMed database to identify relevant articles written in English/Spanish, and published through May 15, 2020. Search terms included: “coronavirus”, “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2”, “SARS-CoV-2”, “COVID-19”, “COVID”, “renal transplantation”, and “kidney transplantation”. Case series were considered eligible, and case reports excluded. Thirty-four articles were included in the review. Results: KTRs should be considered immunocompromised hosts: potential risk for infection, non-negligible comorbidity, and exposure to long-term immunosuppression. Only single center small retrospective experiences are still available regarding KTRs with COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 symptoms in KTRs are similar to that observed for the general population, being fever and cough the most frequently observed. Mild-to-moderate symptomatic KTRs can be managed in an outpatient setting, while patients exhibiting severe symptoms must be addmited to hospital. More rapid clinical progression, and higher complication and death rates have been observed for hospitalized KTRs, requiring hemodyalisis or ventilatory support. Lymphopenia, elevated serum markers (C-reactive protein, procalcitonin, IL-6, D-dimer), and chest-X-ray findings consistent with pneumonia are linked to worse prognosis. A number of antiviral therapies have been used. However, it is difficult to draw meaningful conclusions regarding their efficacy at this point. Baseline immunosupression regimen should be adjusted in a case-by-case manner. However, it poses a significant challenge.

Objectives: Living-donor nephrectomy has significantly expanded the pool of renal transplant donors, allowing for a marked increase in transplantation. Improvements in antirejection medications and refinement of donor selection criteria have allowed for extremely favorable rates of graft survival. More recently, laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) has significantly reduced the morbidity of renal transplantation in the donor population. The University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Hospital Transplant Center performs a large number of living-donor nephrectomies, with increasing use of LDN and here we report our cumulative experience. Methods: A retrospective review was performed of all live donor nephrectomies performed over the last 10 years, including LDN. Surgical complications, both minor and major, were ascertained. Conversion from LDN to open was similarly noted. Follow up, including creatinine one year post-transplant was recorded in open donor nephrectomy (ODN) and LDN groups. Results: Over 10 years, 413 live donor nephrectomies were performed. Of these, 257 were LDN, and 156 were ODN. In two cases, LDN was converted to ODN. Three patients needed reoperation after donor nephrectomy. There were no perioperative mortalities or deep venous thrombosis. Minor complications, including hernia, fever, and C. difficile diarrhea were very rare, the most common being testicular pain in eight patients. Conclusion: Our extensive experience with living donor nephrectomy, with 413 cases spanning ten years, has been very favorable. The risk of major complications was extremely low, with six reported in the series. Minor complications were similarly rare. Living donor nephrectomy is a safe and feasible method of increasing the number of renal transplantation donors with minimal morbidity.

Objetivo: La nefrectomía del donante vivo ha aumentado significativamente el fondo de donantes para trasplante renal, permitiendo un incremento marcado de los trasplantes. Las mejorías de la medicación contra el rechazo y el refinamiento de los criterios de selección del donante han permitido unas tasas de supervivencia del injerto extremadamente favorables. Más recientemente, la nefrectomía laparoscópica del donante vivo (NLDV) ha reducido significativamente la morbilidad en la población de donantes. La Universidad de Miami/Centro de Trasplantes del Hospital Jackson Memorial ha realizado un gran número de nefrectomías del donante vivo, con un aumento de la utilización de la nefrectomía laparoscópica del donante vivo y en el presente artículo comunicamos nuestra experiencia acumulada. Métodos: Realizamos una revisión retrospectiva de todas las nefrectomías del donante vivo realiza las durante los últimos diez años, incluyendo las nefrectomías laparoscópicas. Se recogieron las complicaciones quirúrgicas, tanto menores como graves. También se registraron las conversiones de laparoscopia cirugía abierta. Se revisó el seguimiento, incluyendo las creatininas al año del trasplante en los grupos de nefrectomía abierta del donante y laparoscópica. Resultados: Se han realizado 413 nefrectomías del donante vivo durante diez años. De éstas, 257 fueron laparoscópicas y 156 abiertas. En dos casos, la nefrectomía laparoscópica fue convertida a abierta. Tres donantes necesitaron de intervención después de la nefrectomía. No hubo ninguna muerte perioperatoria ni trombosis venosa profundas. Las complicaciones menores, incluyendo hernia, fiebre y diarrea por C.difficile fueron muy raras, siendo la más frecuente el dolor testicular en ocho casos. Conclusiones: Nuestra amplia experiencia en nefrectomía del donante vivo, con 413 casos a lo largo de diez años, ha sido muy favorable. El riesgo de complicaciones graves fue extremadamente bajo, con seis casos comunicados en esta serie. Las complicaciones menores también fueron raras. La nefrectomía del donante vivo es un método seguro y factible de aumentar el número de donantes para trasplante renal con mínima morbilidad.

PURPOSE: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has a propensity to propagate into the renal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC). Due to inherent differences in the venous anatomy of the right and left kidneys, tumor thrombus involvement of IVC may vary. The aim of this study is to compare clinical presentation and outcome of right vs. left RCC with IVC thrombus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients who underwent radical nephrectomy and IVC thrombectomy between 1997 and 2008 were identified. All relevant data were collected and analyzed. Results: Eight-seven patients were included. Sixty patients (69%) had a right sided tumor. Mean tumor size was 10.2 (± 4) cm and was not significantly different on either side. Fifty-six percent of right sided tumors had level-III (intra-hepatic) or higher tumor thrombus, while 22% of left sided tumors had similar level thrombus extension (p < 0.0001). Nearly 50% of left sided tumors showed level-I thrombus compared to 10% of right side tumors. A comparison of age, estimated blood loss and transfusion rate was not significantly different. The recurrence free (p = 0.9) and disease specific survival (p = 0.4) were not significantly different between the right and left side tumors with IVC thrombus. Conclusion: A level-III IVC tumor thrombus is more frequently seen with a right side tumor. However, clinical and operative characteristics among the left and right sided tumors with IVC thrombus were not different. More significantly, recurrence rate and survival did not differ with the laterality of the tumor.

Purpose: Standard radical nephrectomy for large masses is significantly facilitated by liver transplantation techniques, which have been successfully employed over the last ten years at our institution. Large and locally-advanced urothelial carcinoma of the kidney with or without extension into the inferior vena cava is rare. The purpose of this study was to present the surgical management of large and locally-advanced urothelial tumors arising from the renal pelvis using liver transplantation techniques and to evaluate patient outcome. Materials and Methods: Diagnostic work-up and surgical management of 4 patients with large and locally-advanced renal urothelial carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. Two out of four patients with urothelial carcinoma presented with inferior vena cava thrombus. Mean tumor size was 11.6 cm. All patients underwent surgery, 2 patients with the presumed diagnosis of renal cell cancer. Liver transplantation techniques were an integral part in all radical nephrectomies. Results: No intraoperative complications and postoperative mortality occurred. Mean operative time was 7.5 hours, estimated blood loss was 1.5 L, and an average of 4.8 units of blood was transfused intraoperatively. Three patients succumbed to cancer recurrence at a mean postoperative time of 6.3 months; 1 patient is still alive 24 months after surgery. Conclusions: Large and locally-advanced renal masses of urothelial origin can be successfully removed by a combination of radical nephrectomy with liver transplantation techniques. Since long-term outcome of such patients has been poor, accurate preoperative diagnosis is essential to consider neoadjuvant treatment and to plan nephroureterectomy.