Korean J Transplant.  2023 Nov;37(Suppl 1):S14. 10.4285/ATW2023.F-5778.

Experience of robotic assisted living donor nephrectomy at Cho Ray Hospital - the single institution in Vietnam

• Pham DM
• Thai MS
• Thai KL

• KMID: 2551584
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4285/ATW2023.F-5778

Abstract

Background
Laparoscopic transperitoneal nephrectomy is a standard for harvesting kidney in living donor. Recently, robotic living donor nephrectomy (LDN) has been applying gradually in several transplantation centers in the world. From May 2018, we performed the first case of robotic surgery for LDN. This report aims to assess the initial results of robotic-assisted laparoscopic LDN at Cho Ray hospital.
Methods
All of donors who underwent robotic LDN at Cho Ray Hospital from May 2018 to June 2022 were recruited to study. The donors were chosen by the Renal Transplantation Council of Cho Ray Hospital (donor national criteria). Patient demographics, radiology findings, surgery results, perioperative complications, warm ischemia time, hospital stay, and follow-up results were recorded.
Results
All the 36 patients who underwent robotic LDN were analyzed. The mean age was 45.8±9.9 years. Male:female ratio was 1.11. Mean body mass index was 23.6±2.3 kg/m 2 . There were 33 cases (91.6%) harvesting the left kidney. Multiple-artery kidney was observed in eight cases (22.2%). Mean operative time was 214±39 minutes with estimated blood loss was 82.2±45.7mL. The average of the warm ischemic time was 4.9±1.3 minutes. Neither intraoperative complication nor open conversion was seen. Postoperative complication was 5.6% in class I–II, no case in class III–IV according to Clavien-Dindo classification. The hospital stay was 3.7±2.0 days. Mean serum creatinine was 1.13±0.25 mg/dL after 1 month. Regarding recipients, immediate renal function was obtained in all recipients.
Conclusions
Robotic LDN is a safe and efficient procedure with promising results regarding not only donors but also recipients. This technique should be considered a preferable choice when performing LDN.