Early Experience of Pure Robotic Right Hepatectomy for Liver Donors in a Small-Volume Center

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Living donor right hepatec-tomy has become the most common method of liver trans-plantation. With minimally invasive surgery, laparoscopic donor hepatectomy became possible, but with some limita-tions. Advancements in robotic technology made it possible to overcome these shortcomings and maximize the advan-tages of minimally invasive surgery in transplantation. For this reason, some centers have started robotic donor hepa-tectomy. Our study aimed to introduce our early experience of robotic donor right hepatectomy and investigate the feasibility of this surgery. Methods: This study included 10 (30%) living donors who underwent pure robotic donor right hepatectomy at Dong-A University Hospital from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021. The medical records were analyzed to determine the short-term outcomes of these patients. Results: The total operation time and warm ischemic time were 396.6 min 6 62.7 min and 19.7 min6 5.6 min, respectively. Moreover, there was no transfusion during the operation and no other port use and open conver-sion. The average real graft volume was 590 mL 6 73.5 mL, and the mean hospital stay was 8.7 d 6 2.6 d. There have been no specific complications noted in the donor group. Conclusions: Based on our positive experience with pure robotic right hepatectomy for a liver donor, the robotic technique may be a new option for achieving minimally invasive surgery for a liver donor.