Little research has been conducted to determine the impact of preoperative carbohydrate loading on length of hospital stay (LOS) and postoperative recovery in living kidney donors undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy. To answer this question, we performed a retrospective chart review of electronic medical record data from subjects who previously underwent laparoscopic living donor nephrectomy at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Our study population included 55 adult subjects who received preoperative carbohydrate loading and 93 adult historical control subjects who did not receive preoperative carbohydrate loading. Clinical outcomes, including LOS, length of time required to return to regular oral food and fluid intake, and incidence of postoperative gastrointestinal complications were assessed and compared between the two groups.