Padova Hospital Performs World-First Fully Robotic liver transplant With Perfusion Machine Protection
WORLD NEWS – ITALY: A surgical team at the Azienda Ospedaliera di Padova has completed the first fully robotic liver transplantation in which the organ remained protected inside a machine perfusion system throughout the implantation. The novel combination — maintaining the liver on a perfusion device during the prolonged suturing phase and implanting it using a Da Vinci surgical robot — represents a global technical milestone in transplantation practice.
Surgeons reported that the perfusion system preserves the organ’s function during the most delicate minutes of reconnection, a period that can extend well beyond an hour during minimally invasive implant procedures. Professor Cillo characterized the operation as an extraordinarily intricate technical challenge, comparable to assembling a detailed vessel inside a bottle. By protecting the liver from ischemic stress while surgeons work with robotic precision, the team aims to reduce the organ’s risk of failing after surgery and to expand the pool of grafts that can be successfully used.
Two patients have already undergone the procedure at Padova and achieved rapid recoveries, with brief intensive care stays, low pain levels, early return to eating, and prompt mobilization. Clinicians emphasized that the approach does not change immune rejection dynamics or overall organ supply, but it does improve the post-operative course, which can lower infection risk and shorten hospitalization. The hospital plans to scale up minimally invasive liver transplantation as procurement systems and machine-perfusion capacity grow, leveraging robotic platforms to reach more patients who might benefit from quicker, less traumatic recoveries.
Video originally published on 2026-01-28 12:49:06
