The effect of being overweight on surgical complications after living kidney donation

L.B. Westenberg, M. van Londen, S.J.L. Bakker, R.A. Pol

Wednesday 4 march 2020

16:50 - 17:00h at Theaterzaal

Parallel session: Parallel sessie VI – Klinische abstracts

Background: Obesity is considered a risk factor for peri- and postoperative complications. Little is known about this risk in overweight living kidney donors. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of surgical complications after living donor nephrectomy using different measures of body composition.

Methods: We included 776 living kidney donors who donated between 2008 and 2018 at the University Medical Centre Groningen. Pre-nephrectomy measures of body composition were body mass index (BMI), body surface area, waist circumference, weight and waist-hip ratio. Incidence and severity of peri- and postoperative complications were assessed using the Comprehensive Complication Index.

Results: Mean donor age was 53 ± 11 years, 382 (49%) were male and mean BMI at donor screening was 26.2 ± 3.41 kg/m². In total, 77 donors (10%) experienced peri- and postoperative complications following donor nephrectomy. Univariable linear regression analysis showed no pre-nephrectomy measure of body composition was associated with a higher risk of surgical complications. Female gender (std. beta=0.09, p=0.01), older age (std. beta=0.09, p=0.01) and longer duration of surgery (std. beta=0.11, p=0.005) were significantly associated with more surgical complications. Following multivariable linear regression analysis, corrected for gender and age, longer duration of surgery was significantly associated with surgical complications (std. beta=0.13, p=0.001).

Conclusions: This study shows that higher pre-nephrectomy BMI and other anthropometric measures of body composition are not significantly associated with peri- and postoperative complications following living donor nephrectomy. Only longer duration of surgery is significantly associated with more surgical complications in living kidney donors.