State of the Art of Robotic Surgery in Organ Transplantation

Within the last two decades the application of minimally invasive surgical technologies has shown significant benefits when it comes to complex surgical procedures. Lower rates of complications and higher patient satisfaction are commonly reported. Until recently these benefits were inaccessible for patients with solid organ transplantation, because conventional laparoscopy was seen as nonapplicable in such technically demanding procedures. The introduction of the da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, with its inherent advantages, has expanded the ability to complete solid organ transplantation in a minimally invasive fashion. Robotic applications in kidney, pancreas, and liver transplantation have been reported. The initial results showed the viability of this technique in the field. The most extensive experience has been described in kidney transplantation. Over 700 donor nephrectomies and more than 70 renal transplants have been performed successfully with the robotic system. The proven advantage of the robotic technique, especially in obese kidney recipients, is a significantly lower rate of surgical site infection, which in these highly immunosuppressed patients is reflected in superior outcomes. The first results in pancreas transplantation and living donor hepatectomy are very promising; however, larger series are needed in order to address the value of the robotic surgery in these areas of solid organ transplantation.