Sun-126 Utility of Medial Arterial Calcification for Predicting Pulse Pressure in Early Post-Kidney Transplant Period

Abstract

Robot assisted kidney transplantation , being a minimally invasive procedure, is said to offer certain advantages to the recipient : quicker recovery time, less blood loss, less wound infections, less post operative pain, and better cosmesis , when compared to open surgery. Aim of the study: To compare our experience of Robot assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) with open kidney transplantation (OKT) surgery done by the same surgeon. Methods: Study of all robot assisted kidney transplantations (RAKTgroup 1) done by a surgeon experienced in laparoscopic and robot assisted surgeries, from January 2015 to October 2018 in adult recipients (age above 18 years). Clinical data, outcomes and complications were analysed; this data was compared to recipients who underwent open kidney transplantation surgery (OKT-group 2) by the same surgeon during the same period. The donors were either first degree relatives (80%) or spouses (20%). The graft was positioned extraperitoneally. Both groups received identical immunosuppression according to our protocol-Tacrolimus (initial dose of 0.1mg/kg/day) to maintain trough levels of 6 to 12 ng/ml in the first three months and subsequently 3 to 6ng/ml, Mycophenolate Mofetil (35mg/kg/day) and Prednisolone (0.5mg/kg/day initially , tapering to 0.125mg per day by 3 months). Total surgery time, cold ischemia time, blood loss, postoperative pain score by visual analogue scale, delayed graft function, reexploration rate, incidence of urinary tract & wound infections, length of hospital stay, length of surgical scar , and graft function in the two groups were studied. Statistical analysis was done using Students T test, Chi-Square test and Mann-whitney test.