Papers of the Week

Chronic postsurgical pain (CPSP) following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) is a disregarded topic. In this cross-sectional study, all consecutive patients who underwent a LDN at the Radboudumc (2003-2016) were approached for participation. Five hundred and twelve living kidney donors were included and asked to complete two questionnaires, including the Mc Gill Pain questionnaire and the RAND Short Form-36 Health Status Inventory (RAND SF-36) regarding their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The mean prevalence of CPSP following LDN was 5.7% with a mean follow up time of 6 years. Possible predictors of CPSP following LDN are severe early postoperative pain, previous abdominal surgery and preexisting backache. The RAND SF-36 questionnaire revealed an impaired HRQoL in patients with CPSP when compared to those without CPSP. In conclusion, this study revealed that the prevalence of CPSP following LDN is substantial. Given the possible association between the presence of CPSP and impaired HRQoL scores, living kidney donors should be well informed in the preoperative phase about the risk of CPSP. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.