Improved Short-term Outcomes With Fully Robotic Recipient Adult Living Donor Liver Transplantation: A Comparative...

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Transplantation Medicine
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) is complex, traditionally performed via open surgery.
• Robotic surgery presents potential advantages like enhanced precision and minimally invasive techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare short-term outcomes of open versus fully robotic adult recipient LDLT.
• To evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic techniques in LDLT.

Main Methods:

• Comparative study of 453 open LDLT cases and 54 fully robotic LDLT cases.
• Multivariable linear regression analysis to identify predictors of morbidity using the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI).

Main Results:

• Robotic LDLT demonstrated significantly lower blood loss, shorter ICU and hospital stays, and reduced infection rates compared to open LDLT.
• The robotic group had a significantly lower CCI and superior recipient survival (100% vs. 91.8%).
• 6-month graft survival was comparable (98.1% robotic vs. 91.8% open).

Conclusions:

• Fully robotic recipient LDLT is a feasible and safe procedure.
• Robotic techniques in LDLT are associated with reduced morbidity, faster recovery, and shorter hospital stays.
• Broader adoption of robotic LDLT is supported, pending cost-effectiveness and RCT data.