Laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy in Italy: a national profile.

Three years after the first national case, LLDN had not yet change the living donor rate, although an increasing number of donor nephrectomies were now performed by laparoscopy. Overall the results with the new technique are encouraging, although the pattern of diffusion of LLDN between different areas is heterogeneous and will demand continous efforts on training programs in laparoscopic techniques for transplant surgeons.