Clam-shell technique for right renal vein extension in cadaver kidney transplantation

The short right renal vein is a technical problem in kidney transplantation, which can be resolved when the inferior vena cava remains with the right cadaver kidney. When the organ retrieval team splits the inferior vena cava longitudinally, the previously described inferior vena caval modification cannot be used. We describe a clam-shell modification of the split inferior vena cava that successfully resolved this problem. The split inferior vena cava is folded medially and sutured on its anterior and posterior surfaces to extend the right renal vein.