Advanced Robotic Donor Nephrectomy at Fortis Hospital Bangalore

Robotic Donor Nephrectomy

Robotic Donor Nephrectomy is a minimally invasive surgical procedure which is performed to procure a kidney from its donor. Compared to open donor Nephrectomy, robot-assisted donor Nephrectomy demonstrates lesser postoperative pain, faster donor rehabilitation and lesser length of hospital stay. As it minimizes procedural risks and improves donor safety, this kind of robot-assisted kidney removal has shown the potential to come up as the preferred procedure and become the gold standard method for performing living kidney donations. With its own unique benefits, this method stays as an effective alternative approach to traditional open procedures and greatly enhances the kidney donation rates of living donors.

Why is it performed?

In some people, the kidneys fail and lose their functioning ability due to disease, injury or infection. As a result, wastes and toxins build up in the bloodstream and pose potential threats to the health of the person. Replacing the failed kidney with a healthy one from the donor can help the patient to lead a healthy life. Traditionally, the procurement of a healthy kidney from the donor is performed through open surgery. However, with the advancements in the medical field, today the healthy kidney is removed from the donor body through a minimally invasive surgery, the Robotic Donor Nephrectomy. This robot-assisted procedure has reduced the post-operative pain for the donor and revolutionized the kidney donation undoubtedly.

How is it performed?

A Robotic Donor Nephrectomy is generally performed under general anaesthesia so that the patient can be asleep and do not feel any pain. After successful administration of the anaesthesia, a series of small incisions or keyholes are made by the surgeon at the lower part of the abdomen. A tiny high- magnification 3D camera and other various miniature instruments that are necessary to carry out the procedure are inserted through these keyholes. Then the surgeon performs the procedure by controlling the robotic arms to make precise movements inside the body. Firstly, the ureter and blood vessels are disconnected from the kidney and then the kidney is separated from its surrounding organs. Soon after this, one of the incisions will be expanded and the kidney is taken out of the body through it. It is important to understand the entire surgery is carried out and controlled by the surgeon and not the robot.

What are the advantages of Robotic Donor Nephrectomy?

Besides offering an optimal ergonomic environment for the surgeon to carry out the kidney procurement, this minimally invasive procedure provides an array of benefits to the donor. They are

• The incision is smaller compared to open surgery.

• The blood loss associated with this surgery is less. This, in turn, avoids the need for blood transfusions.The complications and risks associated with this procedure are not high.

• The trauma, scarring and post-operative pain are reduced.

• The risk of infection after the surgery is decreased to a greater extent.