High BMI and male sex as risk factor for increased short-term renal impairment in living kidney donors – Retrospective analysis of 289 consecutive cases

Abstract Background Kidney transplantation represents the treatment of choice for end-stage renal disease (ESRD). However, nephrectomy bears certain short- as well as long-term risks for the healthy, voluntary donor. As obesity is increasing and is a known risk factor for surgical complications, we wanted to assess the impact of BMI on perioperative complication rates and renal function. Materials and methods We retrospectively assessed patients undergoing living donor kidney nephrectomy at our institution. We identified 289 donors that underwent unilateral nephrectomy between January 2006 and December 2015. Donors were categorized according to their BMI (BMI 2 , BMI ≥25/ 2 , BMI ≥30 kg/m 2 ). Where indicated, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to compare groups, a stepwise linear regression model was used to assess impact of BMI on the change of eGFR. Results 126 donors (43.6%) had a BMI Conclusion Obese donors do not suffer from an increased risk of intraoperative or perioperative complication rates. However, male sex and high BMI are associated with a more pronounced short-term decline in renal function. The impact of BMI on long-term consequences for kidney donors needs to be defined in larger prospective cohorts.