A surgical team from Washington University’s School of Medicine has successfully performed the first robot-assisted whole-liver transplant in the U.S. The patient, a man in his 60s with liver cancer and cirrhosis due to a hepatitis C infection, has made a swift recovery and was cleared to play golf just a month after the procedure. The robotic surgery team at Washington University has previously performed surgeries involving partial liver transplants from living donors, but this was the first time both parts of the procedure were done together using robotics.
Robotic surgeries involve a surgeon using joystick-like controls to operate robotic arms equipped with surgical tools, allowing for precise movements. The use of robotics in liver transplants allows for smaller incisions, reducing the invasiveness of the procedure. The Washington University team has been using robotics in kidney operations for the past five years and has seen positive results. Their success in liver transplants may pave the way for more robotic surgeries in the future.
