Laparoscopic versus open living donor nephrectomy

Renal transplantation was fi rst performed in 1936 by Voronoy 1. The kidney was harvested in a patient who had died from a head injury 6 hours earlier. The blood group of the donor was incompatible with that of the recipient. The renal graft did not function and the recipient died two days later. Subsequently, Voronoy performed kidney transplantations in fi ve more patients under similar circumstances, however without success. After these early attempts, renal transplantations were not performed for over two decades.