Successful renal transplantation after intimal dissection of the renal artery secondary to trauma

Background. Organ shortage increasingly forces surgeons to consider the use of marginal organs. Methods. The authors report a case in which a kidney with traumatic dissection of the renal artery and marginal perfusion by means of collaterals was successfully transplanted into a 63-year-old patient. A computed tomographic scan of the donor showed a marginally perfused left kidney, suggestive of renal artery dissection. After surgical reconstruction of the renal artery, transplantation followed the usual course. Results. The organ started clearing shortly after the operation and was homogeneously perfused in a post-operative scan. Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels dropped to normal values within a couple of days after the transplantation. During 1 year of followup, organ function was always excellent and retention parameters were within the normal range. Conclusions. This case illustrates that marginally perfused kidneys can be successfully used for transplantionin certain cases.