Horseshoe Kidney Transplantation from a Deceased Cardiac Death Donor: A Case Report

Abstract

The use of marginal kidney donors with congenital morphological anomalies, such as the “horseshoe” kidney, presents itself as a solution to expand the donor pool. The vascular and urinary anatomy of the horseshoe kidney is complex. These patients are more frequently affected by hydronephrosis, vesicoureteral reflux, urinary tract infections, and urolithiasis. The horseshoe kidney can be transplanted “en bloc” or as a single kidney after “splitting.” A 54-year-old patient with end-stage renal failure, on hemodialysis for 4 years, was transplanted with a “horseshoe” graft from a deceased cardiac death (DCD) III Maastricht-type donor. The “preoperative” computed tomography (CT) documented the presence of a “horseshoe” kidney, non-divisible due to the presence of a shared lower polar renal artery between both kidneys. There were no anomalies in the collecting systems except for a slight dilation of the right renal pelvis. The distal side of the inferior vena cava was anastomosed end-to-side with the external iliac vein. The left common iliac artery of the donor was sutured end-to-side with the external iliac artery. The ureters were implanted separately after the placement of the Double J (DJ) stents. There were no perioperative complications. Immunosuppressive therapy was induced with ATG and subsequently tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil were introduced. In 4 months of follow-up, the patient developed a lymphocele that was drained percutaneously. The DJ stents were removed after 3 months. The donor with a horseshoe kidney, in the absence of a urological pathological history, can be considered for transplantation even in a DCD setting by planning an appropriate preoperative strategy.