Chyle Leak following Open Donor Nephrectomy: A Rare Complication—A Case Report. (20th December 2012)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Harkar, Sandeep; Singh, Dharam Vir; Gupta, Sanjay Kumar; Talwar, Raghav; Rana, Yajvender Pratap Singh
• Other Names: Andrews P. A. Academic Editor.; Grenda R. Academic Editor.
• Is Part Of: Case reports in transplantation. Volume 2012(2012)
• Publication Date: 2012-12-20
• Subjects: Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc -- Periodicals; Transplantation; Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc; Periodicals; Periodicals; 617.954
• DOI: 10.1155/2012/259838
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2090-6943

Abstract

Abstract : Introduction . Donor workup in renal transplantation is extensive. Despite this, chyle leakage following donor nephrectomy, a rare complication, has been reported in the literature. We encountered two cases of chyle leak in kidney donors in our series of open donor nephrectomies. Summary of Cases . After complete workup, standard open retroperitoneal donor nephrectomy with drain placement was performed in 684 living renal donors. We encountered chyle leak in two cases. The first case was a 33-year-old female who underwent an otherwise uneventful left donor nephrectomy but continued to have high drain output (upto 300–400 mL/24 hrs) in the postoperative period. The drain fluid was milky, raising the suspicion of chyle which was confirmed on biochemical analysis. The second case was a 42-year-old female with a similar case history. Both were managed conservatively with low-fat diet. The leak subsided spontaneously in three weeks and one week in the first and second patients, respectively. The drain was removed, and the patients remained symptom-free on followup. Conclusions . Both of our cases of chyle leak following open donor nephrectomy were managed successfully with conservative management. The management options and the experience of other centers are reviewed and discussed.