First clinical experience with single-port robotic living donor hepatectomy.
Dieter C Broering, Yasser Elsheikh, Luigi Rescigno et al.
✦ AI-curated · Sources linked
Case in brief
At a high-volume robotic donor hepatectomy center, three consecutive living donors underwent left lateral sectionectomy using a single-port robotic system. All operations were completed robotically without conversion; duration decreased from 430 to 272 minutes, and estimated blood loss was 25 mL in each case. No donor had a complication, transfusion, reoperation, or readmission, and hospital stays were 2 to 3 days. All grafts were transplanted successfully without biliary or major vascular complications. The report describes the approach as feasible, while noting technical challenges and the need for further evaluation of donor-centered benefits.
What made this case unusual
The report describes initial clinical use of a single-port robotic platform for living donor hepatectomy, an application for which the authors state clinical experience was lacking.
Diagnostic / clinical pearl
Single-port robotic living donor left lateral sectionectomy was completed without conversion in these cases, but technical constraints included instrument ergonomics, stapler insertion, angulation, and hemostasis options.
Why it matters
Whether fewer ports improve pain, cosmesis, or recovery in healthy liver donors remains undetermined and requires further evaluation.