Live kidney donation: attitudes towards donor approach, motives and factors promoting donation.

BACKGROUND: There are many views regarding the initiation of the process for live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT), the motives of the donor and the appropriate ways to promote LDKT. METHODS: Health care professionals and patients were recruited in a tertiary renal and transplant centre and completed an anonymous questionnaire. They were then divided into focus groups and a structured interview was performed in order to discover the rationale behind the answers in the questionnaire. RESULTS: Four hundred and sixty-four participants completed the questionnaire. There were 168 health care professionals and 296 patients. Most of the participants (26.9%) suggested that the first approach to a potential donor should be made by the potential recipient. Participants believed that the most important motives for a kidney donor are relief as a result of the recipient's improved health after the transplant (82.5%) and altruism (80.4%). About 89.2% of participants believed that proper long-term medical follow-up of the donor is the most important factor for LDKT promotion. Fifty-five participants discussed the rationale of their answers in the focus group interview. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, participants preferred an initial approach of the donor by the recipient. The relief as a result of the recipient's improved health was suggested as a very strong motive for donation. Proper donor follow-up was considered to be paramount for the further development of LDKT.

Attitudes toward live donor kidney transplantation and its commercialization.

Development of live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) programs has intensified debate regarding acceptability of certain donor categories and potential commercialization. Concerning these issues, we surveyed the views of medical and nursing staff caring for patients with renal failure and renal transplant recipients and donors. Participants were recruited from a tertiary transplant unit and invited to complete an anonymous questionnaire. Four hundred and sixty-four participants completed the questionnaire (42% response). One hundred and sixty-eight (36.2%) were health care professionals and 296 (63.8%) patients; 85.6% of participants were willing to donate to their children, 80.2% to siblings, 80.8% to parents, 72% to a non-blood-related relative or friend, and 15.3% to a stranger. If participants had hypothetical renal failure, they were prepared to accept a kidney from a parent (79.5%), sibling (78.7%), child (56.3%), a non-blood-related relative or friend (79.3%), or stranger (54.1%). Regarding commercialization, responders' attitudes were that the donor should not accept financial reward (29.1%), be compensated for expenses only (60.6%), or should receive a direct financial reward (10.1%). For non-directed donation, 23.5%, 55.6%, and 20.7% were not in support of reward, compensation only, and financial reward, respectively. While live kidney donation was accepted by the majority of individuals surveyed, only the minority approved of commercialization.

Penile fractures: immediate surgical approach with a midline ventral incision.

OBJECTIVES: To present our experience with immediate surgical treatment of penile fractures, using a midline ventral incision, as the choice of either immediate surgical or conservative treatment in penile fractures, as well as the type of surgical incision, remains controversial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a period of 5 years (2002-2006) eight patients were treated in our department for a penile fracture. The diagnosis was established by a history and clinical examination. In six patients ultrasonography before surgery located the fracture in the right corpus cavernosum, distally from the penoscrotal junction. All patients had immediate surgery using a midline ventral incision and were followed for a mean of 1 year. RESULTS: All patients presented with a penile haematoma, while five and two had concomitant scrotal and perineal haematomas, respectively. Penile urethral rupture was associated with corporal cavernosal rupture in one patient. In all patients a 5-cm midline ventral incision was made at the penile raphe. There was unilateral rupture of the corpus cavernosum in seven patients and bilateral rupture with concomitant urethral rupture in one. The fascial defect was sutured in all patients and an end-to-end anastomosis made if there was urethral rupture. The early and late periods after surgery were uneventful. Erectile function was unaffected during the follow-up. CONCLUSION: Immediate intervention for penile fractures, using a midline ventral incision, achieves good early and late results. Our technique has the advantage of direct access to both corpora cavernosa and the anterior urethra, with a minimal skin incision.

Reducing the number of sutures for vesicourethral anastomosis in radical retropubic prostatectomy.

OBJECTIVES: To prospectively evaluate the outcome of using a two-suture technique for the vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) during radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two groups of 50 patients each underwent nerve-sparing RRP for localized prostate cancer by one surgeon. In one group, the vesicourethral anastomosis was performed using 2 Vicryl 2-0 stitches placed at the 3- and 9-o'clock positions and in the other group 6 Vicryl 2-0 stitches were placed at the 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-o'clock positions. The intraoperative and perioperative parameters analyzed were time to perform the VUA, time to remove the drain and hospitalization. The rate of incontinence, anastomotic stricture and erectile function were included in the outcome analysis. RESULTS: The anastomotic time differed statistically between the 2 groups (mean 3.3 minutes for the 2-suture group and 10.5 minutes for the 6-suture group, p < 0.0001) with similar periods of drain removal (mean 3.12 days for the 2-suture group and 3.45 days for the 6-suture group; p = 0.13) and hospitalization (mean 4.66 days for the 2-suture group and 5.3 days for the 6-suture group; p = 0.09). The functional outcome was excellent for the 2-suture group with no patient suffering from incontinence or anastomotic strictures 1 year postoperatively, while in the 6-suture group there were 2 patients (4%) suffering from incontinence (2 underwent sling procedure) and 1 patient suffered from anastomotic stricture. CONCLUSION: The low number of sutures in the 2-suture VUA technique reduces operating times, does not influence perioperative and intraoperative parameters and results in excellent functional outcome.

Ethical issues in live donor kidney transplant: views of medical and nursing staff.

OBJECTIVES: The ongoing development of live donor kidney transplant has generated many ethical dilemmas. It is important to be aware of the attitudes of transplant professionals involved in this practice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An anonymous and confidential questionnaire was sent to 236 members of the medical and nursing staff of the West London Renal and Transplant Centre, to assess their views on the ethics of the current practice of live donor kidney transplant. RESULTS: Of the 236 questionnaires, 108 (45.8%) were returned. Respondents considered live donor kidney transplant ethically acceptable between blood relatives (100%), nonblood relatives and friends (92.6%), and strangers (47.2%). Most respondents were willing to donate a kidney to a blood relative (92.6%) or a nonblood relative or friend (81.5%), and 12.0% were willing to donate to a stranger. Considering themselves as potential recipients if they had end-stage renal disease, most would accept a kidney from a blood relative (91.7%) or nonblood relative or friend (85.2%),while 44.5% would accept a kidney from a stranger. The highest number of respondents (43.5%) believed that the recipient should approach the potential donor. About one-third believed there should be no financial reward, not even compensation for expenses, for donors; 8% favored direct financial rewards for donors known to recipients, and 18% favored rewards for donors not known to recipients. Slightly more than half were in favor of accepting donors with mild to moderate medical problems. CONCLUSIONS: Live related and unrelated kidney donation are considered ethically acceptable procedures, and nondirected donation is gaining support among transplant professionals. A substantial minority favored direct financial rewards for donors, especially in the case of nondirected donation.

Percutaneous renal cryoablation: current status.

Over the last 13 years, renal cryoablation has emerged as a promising technique for the treatment of solid renal tumors. The improvement in imaging modalities such as ultrasound, computed tomography and MRI, as well as the introduction of thinner probes, has led to the spread of the minimally invasive percutaneous approach. We review the historical background of percutaneous renal cryoablation (PRC), present its basic principles, mention the contemporary clinical data and outcomes of this technique and suggest future directions for its wider application in renal tumors. Early results have demonstrated that it may offer an alternative for the treatment of small renal masses with the advantages of minimal complications, spared renal function, decreased overall costs and equivalent oncologic efficacy. Long-term results are required in order to apply this minimally invasive technique to a broader spectrum of patients.

Hepatocyte transplantation: a review of worldwide clinical developments and experiences.

Hepatocyte transplantation is a promising treatment for several liver diseases and can also be used as a "bridge" to liver transplantation in cases of liver failure. Although the first animal experiments with this technique began in 1967, it was first applied in humans in 1992. Clearly, the most important advantage of this treatment, compared with liver transplantation, is its simplicity, since no surgery is required for implantation of the cells. Much work has been done over the years to maximize the number of viable hepatocytes that can be isolated from a liver, to prepare the cells prior to transplantation so that the outcome will be more successful, and to identify the optimal site for implantation. We review these efforts along with the worldwide clinical experience with hepatocyte transplantation during the last 13 years.

Live donor kidney transplantation: attitudes of patients and health care professionals concerning the pre-surgical pathway and post-surgical follow-up.

OBJECTIVES: We surveyed the following groups of individuals concerning their attitudes towards the pathway leading up to live donor kidney transplantation (LDKT) and post-operative follow-up: kidney transplant (deceased and live donor) recipients, live kidney donors and medical and nursing staff caring for end-stage renal disease and dialysis patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants were recruited within a tertiary renal and transplant centre and invited to complete anonymized questionnaires, be involved in focus groups and undertake structured interviews. RESULTS: A total of 464 participants completed the questionnaire (36% health care professionals and 64% patients). Most perceived donor risk as small or very small (62%), and 49% stated that a potential donor should be given up to 3 months to reconsider the decision to donate. Participants were almost equally divided as to whether consensus of the donor's family is necessary (46%) or not (44%) in LDKT. Seventy-one percentage of the participants suggested that patients have a greater appreciation of a LDKT if they have been on dialysis; 58% of participants thought that donor and recipient should recuperate beside each other after surgery; 45% thought that the post-operative follow-up for the donor should last up to a year; and 83% thought that donor follow-up should include medical status and quality of life. In the interviews, participants expressed several interesting views. CONCLUSIONS: Participants believed that LDKT is safe for the donor, and the pathway to surgery and post-operative follow-up should be performed in a way that ensures lack of coercion and includes family support and an extensive post-operative follow-up.

Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after radical retropubic prostatectomy: a prospective, randomized trial.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) administered after radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). METHODS: One hundred patients undergoing open RRP by one surgeon were divided randomly and prospectively into two groups of 50 patients, each receiving systematically either an NSAID (lornoxicam) or paracetamol for postoperative analgesia. Opiates were administered if needed for breakthrough pain. Parameters potentially correlated with postoperative bleeding, such as preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin (Hb) differences, estimated blood loss, number of transfusions, and drain output were recorded. Furthermore, the degree of pain was assessed daily with a visual analogue scale score until discharge from hospital. RESULTS: After procedures with similar estimated blood loss, postoperative bleeding was not more in the NSAIDs group, as evidenced by similar transfusion rates (P 0.05), and Hb drop after the procedure. No patient required re-exploration for bleeding; drain output when elevated was never attributed to postoperative bleeding. Pain control as evaluated by the visual analogue scale pain score was adequate with the use of NSAIDs and not statistically different from the non-NSAIDs group during postoperative days 1 and 4 and onward. Pain control with lornoxicam was even better on postoperative days 2 and 3 (P

Reducing the number of sutures for vesicourethral anastomosis in radical retropubic prostatectomy

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively evaluate the outcome of using a two-suture technique for the vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) during radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two groups of 50 patients each underwent nerve-sparing RRP for localized prostate cancer by one surgeon. In one group, the vesicourethral anastomosis was performed using 2 Vicryl 2-0 stitches placed at the 3- and 9-o’clock positions and in the other group 6 Vicryl 2-0 stitches were placed at the 2-, 4-, 6-, 8-, 10- and 12-o’clock positions. The intraoperative and perioperative parameters analyzed were time to perform the VUA, time to remove the drain and hospitalization. The rate of incontinence, anastomotic stricture and erectile function were included in the outcome analysis. RESULTS: The anastomotic time differed statistically between the 2 groups (mean 3.3 minutes for the 2-suture group and 10.5 minutes for the 6-suture group, p < 0.0001) with similar periods of drain removal (mean 3.12 days for the 2-suture group and 3.45 days for the 6-suture group; p = 0.13) and hospitalization (mean 4.66 days for the 2-suture group and 5.3 days for the 6-suture group; p = 0.09). The functional outcome was excellent for the 2-suture group with no patient suffering from incontinence or anastomotic strictures 1 year postoperatively, while in the 6-suture group there were 2 patients (4 percent) suffering from incontinence (2 underwent sling procedure) and 1 patient suffered from anastomotic stricture. CONCLUSION: The low number of sutures in the 2-suture VUA technique reduces operating times, does not influence perioperative and intraoperative parameters and results in excellent functional outcome.