Safe removal of failed transplanted kidneys

The surgical removal of a transplanted kidney following rejection or failure can be hazardous. A total of 110 grafts were removed consecutively in 84 patients (in 21 cases a second graft and in 5 cases a third graft was removed). Two surgical techniques were applied: extracapsular and intracapsular removal. The extracapsular technique was associated with complications in 11 out of 69 cases (16 per cent) and the intracapsular technique, in 3 out of 36 cases (8 per cent). In 5 cases the operative technique could not be determined from the records. In the 14 cases developing complications, wound infection was observed in 7 cases, wound haematoma in 4 and mycotic aneurysm, pulmonary embolism and clotting in the bladder each in 1 case. One patient (1·2 per cent) died due to late complications after allograft nephrectomy following rupture of a mycotic aortic aneurysm. The technique of kidney transplant removal by either the intra- or extracapsular route and the exact timing of the operation are important features for safe treatment of patients with end-stage graft failure