Transplantation of a horseshoe kidney from a living donor: Case report, long term outcome and donor safety.

INTRODUCTION: The use of a horseshoe kidney in renal transplant remains controversial, when it is found in the evaluation of a living donor, anatomical, surgical and ethical issues are involved. PRESENTATION OF CASE: An uncomplicated horseshoe kidney was detected in a 51-year-old woman who was the only suitable donor for her 30-year-old son. Kidneys were fused in the inferior pole and no vascular or urinary abnormalities were detected during imaging evaluation. The surgical procedure was approved by the hospital transplant committee. A laparotomy was performed by means of a medial upper incision. The isthmus of the kidney was divided using a harmonic scalpel and the left segment was used; it had 2 arteries too distant to create a common one, thus anastomosed separately. The renal vein was side-to-side anastomosed to the right external iliac vein and a Lich-Gregoir ureteral implant was made. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications in the donor who currently remains asymptomatic. Recipient developed a delayed graft function (DGF), and was discharged on the 12th day after surgery. After 24 months of surgery, renal function has remained stable with a serum creatinine of 128µmol/L (1.45mg/dL). DISCUSSION: There are 7 reports of a horseshoe kidney from living donors in 8 patients without morbidity and a good long term outcome of all recipients. CONCLUSION: If we anticipate a low operative risk and there is a suitable anatomy, we may consider the use of horseshoe kidneys from living donors a viable alternative.

One, two, or three ports in laparoscopic cholecystectomy?

Single-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) has been compared with 3- or 4-port LC. To our knowledge, there are no studies comparing the 3-, 2-, and 1-port techniques. Patients were randomized into 3 groups: LC 1-port using SILS, LC 2-port using a laparoscope with a working channel, and LC 3-port using the standard ports. Pain was evaluated at recovery, 4 hours, 24 hours, day 5, and day 8, using an analog visual scale. Homogenous groups in their demographic characteristics; all confirmed gallbladder lithiasis. At recovery, there was less pain in group 1 (P = 0.002); at 4 hours pain was similar in all groups (P = 0.899); at 24 hours there was less pain in groups 2 and 3 (P = 0.031); and at days 5 and 8 there was marginal (P = 0.053) and significant (P = 0.003) relevance. In terms of pain perception, LC performed through 1 port does not offer advantages when compared with 2 or 3 ports. More clinical trials are needed to confirm these data.

La toracoscopia temprana en el empiema poneumónico / Early thoracoscopy in post-pnemonic empyema

Objetivo. Evaluar el efecto de la toracoscopia temprana en la evolución de pacientes con empiema posneumónico. Sede Hospital General de Puebla, SSA, ®Dr. Eduardo Vázquez Navarro¼, Puebla, México. Diseño. Ensayo clínico con control histórico. Para el análisis estadístico se usó T de Student, análisis de varianza y chi cuadrada. Material y métodos. De septiembre de 1995 a diciembre de 1998, a los pacientes con empiema posneumónico (EPN) se les realizó toracoscopia en las primeras 48 h del ingreso (TT). Se clasificaron en fases: 1) derrame seroso, 2) líquido purulento libre o tabicado, 3) engrosamiento pleural, pus y pulmón colapsado. Como grupo control: pacientes con EPN de octubre 1993 a agosto 1995, sin toracoscopia (NT); el EPN se clasificó de acuerdo a la evolución clínica: 1) seroso con expansión pulmonar, 2) purulento con expansión pulmonar (sonda de toracostomía), 3) purulento sin expansión pulmonar (toracotomía decorticación). El tratamiento se instituyó de acuerdo a la fase. Resultados. En total 42 pacientes con EPN, (TT 17 y NT 25), fueron similares en sexo, edad, fases del empiema, número de defunciones, resultados de laboratorio, enfermedades asociadas y esquemas antibióticos. La estancia hospitalaria global fue 12.76 ñ 5.36 días para el grupo