Is common femoral artery flow affected by the ipsilateral transplanted kidney?

Abstract

RENAL transplantation is the preferred treatment for the majority of patients with end-stage renal disease. Many potential complications of renal transplantation are well-documented in the literature. A transplanted kidney placed in the iliac fossa is presumed to decrease blood flow to the lower extremity on the same side by the “steal phenomenon” and/or by compression of the iliac arteries due to the mass effect. To our knowledge, there are no reports in the literature concerning posttransplantation flow changes in the femoral arteries in the absence of atherosclerotic disease or perirenal fluid collection. We used Doppler ultrasound imaging to assess blood flow velocity and volume in the common femoral artery ipsilateral to the graft, and compared these findings to those on the contralateral side.