Novel technique extends robotic transplant benefits to more patients.
Riyadh:
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) has achieved another world first by performing a non-identical, fully robotic liver transplant using a living donor left-lobe graft. The novel technique promises all the benefits of robotic transplant – increased precision, reduced recovery times, and fewer complications – to a broader segment of patients.
Liver transplants are traditionally confined to right-lobe grafts. The breakthrough of utilizing robotics in “left-at-right” liver transplants offers new hope for patients previously deemed ineligible for a transplant due to anatomical challenges or other contraindications.
The procedure was performed twice, on two female patients : a 26-year-old with end-stage liver disease due to Autoimmune Hepatitis and a 48-year-old with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC). Top of FormBottom of FormKFSHRC’s medical team used the Da Vinci Xi robotic system to transplant left-lobe grafts from living donors into the right hepatic fossa of the patients. The technique evidently improved blood flow with reduced strain on the patients and the donors. The precision of the robotic system enabled better surgical views and more practical implantation due to the confined intraabdominal space. Both cases reported positive patient outcomes, with minimal blood loss and short ICU stays (2-4 days).
KFSHRC has cemented its position as a global leader in robotic surgery. In 2023, it performed the world’s first fully robotic liver transplant, followed by 29 fully robotic liver transplants to date. In 2024, it made headlines again with the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant.
It is noteworthy that KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 20th globally in the list of the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centres for the second consecutive year and recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East, according to the 2024 Brand Finance rankings. Additionally, in the same year, it was ranked among the world’s best 250 hospitals and included in the World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025 by Newsweek magazine.
