Orthotopic Robot-assisted Kidney Transplantation: Surgical Technique and Preliminary Results

Orthotopic robot-assisted kidney transplantation is a feasible and safe technique for patients unsuitable for heterotopic kidney transplantation. In this setting, the robotic approach showed favorable postoperative and functional outcomes and provides a novel minimally invasive surgical approach for frail and highly comorbid patients. Orthotopic kidney transplantation (KT) has been proposed as an option for patients ineligible for heterotopic KT. In this scenario, orthotopic robot-assisted KT (oRAKT) represents a novel, minimally invasive alternative to the open approach. Here we describe the largest oRAKT series of patients, with a focus on the surgical technique, perioperative surgical outcomes, and functional results. We queried prospectively maintained databases from three referral centers to identify patients who underwent oRAKT and evaluated surgical and functional outcomes. Overall, 16 oRAKT procedures were performed between January 2020 and August 2023. These involved four donors after cardiovascular death, five donors after brain death, and seven living donors. All oRAKT procedures were carried out in the left renal fossa. The indication for oRAKT was extensive calcification of the external iliac vessels (100%), frequently associated with prior KT (31%). The median operative time was 295 min (interquartile range [IQR] 268–360) and the median rewarming time 48 min (IQR 40–54). Conversion to open surgery occurred in two cases (12%), and delayed graft function was observed in two cases (12%). Postoperative complications occurred in 11 patients (69%) and three (18%) experienced Clavien-Dindo grade >II complications. At median follow-up of 9 mo (IQR 7–17), 14 patients had a functioning graft and median creatinine of 1.49 mg/dl (IQR 1.36–1.72). Although oRAKT is a challenging procedure, it represents a feasible option for individuals ineligible for heterotopic KT and yields favorable perioperative and mid-term functional outcomes. We evaluated outcomes of orthotopic robot-assisted kidney transplantation (KT), in which the native kidney is removed and the donor kidney is transplanted into its place, in patients who are not eligible for heterotopic KT, in which the native kidney is left in place and the donor kidney is transplanted into a new location. We found that robot-assisted surgery is a safe and feasible alternative to traditional open surgery for orthotopic KT.