To study the prevalence of femoral and lateral cutaneous nerves sensory and/or motor disturbances after kidney transplantation, and the relation with different factors e.g; age, sex, diabetes, hypertension and graft function.
From April 2001-March 2002, 129 patients were undergone kidney transplantation in Kidney Transplantation Unit, Sina Medical Centre. 10 patients were excluded due to preoperative sensory disturbances. The prevalence of sensory and/or motor disturbances preoperatively by physical examination, and postoperatively by both physical and electromyography examination were evaluated. The cinical findings were correlated with the following risk factors; age, sex, preoperative dialysis duration, background diseases e.g; diabetes and hypertension, graft weight and nephron mass index, operation and retraction time and rejection episodes.
Among 119 patients, at 1-9 days postoperatively, 31 (26%) suffered from lateral cutaneous nerve of thigh neuropathy and 4 (3.3%) were suffered from femoral neuropathy. No meaningful relation between the neuropathy incidence and above risk factors was found. The probability of neuropathy was more in diabetics, hypertensive, female sex and those with graft rejection episodes. All of these complains were temporary.
Post kidney transplantation femoral and/or lateral cutaneous nerve neuropathy is a prevalent complication and is more evident in diabetic, hypertensive and female patients. Also neuropathy is more evident in graft rejection. More attention for like patients should be given.