Background: Organ shortage increasingly forces surgeons to consider the use of marginal organs.
Methods: The authors report a case in which a kidney with traumatic dissection of the renal artery and marginal perfusion by means of collaterals was successfully transplanted into a 63-year-old patient. A computed tomographic scan of the donor showed a marginally perfused left kidney, suggestive of renal artery dissection. After surgical reconstruction of the renal artery, transplantation followed the usual course.
Results: The organ started clearing shortly after the operation and was homogeneously perfused in a postoperative scan. Creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels dropped to normal values within a couple of days after the transplantation. During 1 year of follow-up, organ function was always excellent and retention parameters were within the normal range.
Conclusions: This case illustrates that marginally perfused kidneys can be successfully used for transplantation in certain cases.