Surgical aspects of kidney transplantation in France in 1997.

Abstract

In France the number of procurements and transplantations has declined since 1991. Procurement and surgical transplantation are generally performed by the urologist using a transplantation surgical technique similar to the one René Küss described in 1951. The urinary and vascular complication rate has decreased with procurement and transplantation technique improvement--procurement with a Carrel patch, with the inferior vena cava for the right kidney, and transplantation with an extravesical urinary anastomosis. The surgical complications are now generally treated by endourological techniques, celioscopy, or percutaneously with a good overall result for the patient and kidney.