The success of kidney transplantation may be hampered by immunological problems, including vascular or cellular rejection, and recurrence of disease in the transplant. Of course, a patient may also be confronted with surgical complications that may lead to morbidity, graft loss and even mortality. Preventing these surgical complications is a prerequisite for long term success and minimizing their incidence is one of the challenges in kidney transplantation.

Therefore, the aim of the studies presented in this thesis is to optimize outcome of kidney transplantation by reducing surgical complications.