Obese patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are often excluded from kidney transplantation due to concerns about surgical site infections. To reduce infections, we developed a robotic kidney transplantation method for obese recipients. From June 2009-December 2011, a prospective cohort of 39 obese patients underwent robotic kidney transplantation at a single center. The outcomes of patients with at least six months of follow-up (n=28) were compared to a frequency-matched retrospective cohort of obese patients who underwent open kidney transplantation from 2004-2009 (n=28). The 28 robotic patients were predominately African-American (46.4%) or Hispanic (35.7%), with a mean age of 47.9±10.7 years, similar to the control group. BMI in the robotic group was 42.6±7.8 kg/m2 compared to 38.1±5.4 kg/m2 in the control group (p=0.02). There were no surgical site infections in the robotic group (0/28), while 28.6% (8/28) in the control group developed an infection (p=0.004). Six-month creatinine (1.5±0.4 vs.1.6±0.6 mg/dL; p=0.47), and patient and graft survival (100%) were comparable between the two groups. Outcomes following robotic surgery compared favorably to conventional transplantation. Robotic surgery may therefore enable obese patients with ESRD to access kidney transplantation and may thereby reduce health disparities in groups with a high prevalence of obesity and ESRD.

Kidney transplantation in morbidly obese patients can be technically demanding. Furthermore, morbidly obese patients experience a high rate of wound infections and related complications, which mostly result from the longer length and extent of the incision. These complications can be avoided through minimally invasive surgery; however, conventional laparoscopic instruments are unsuitable for the safe performance of a kidney transplant in morbidly obese patients. Herein, we report the first minimally invasive, total robotic kidney transplant in a morbidly obese patient. A left, deceased donor kidney was transplanted into a 29-year-old woman with a body mass index (BMI) of 41 kg/m 2 who had been on hemodialysis for 5 years. The operation was performed intraabdominally using the DaVinci Robotic Surgical System with 4 trocars and a 7 cm midline incision. The operative time was 223 min, and the blood loss was less than 50 cc. The kidney had immediate graft function. No perioperative complications were observed, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 5 with normal kidney function. Minimally invasive access and robotic technology facilitated the safe performance of a successful kidney transplant in a morbidly obese patient.

Despite increased rejection rates, graft and patient survivals indicate that desensitization of positive crossmatch patients is a reasonable alternative for a sensitized patient who could potentially wait 10 or more years for a suitable cadaveric kidney.

Summary Recent advances in robotic surgical technology have enabled application to complex surgical procedures. Following extensive institutional experience with major robotic liver resections, we determined that it was safe to apply this technology to right lobe donor hepatectomy (RLDH). The procedure was performed using the Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System, in an entirely minimally invasive fashion, during which the liver graft was safely extracted through a limited lower abdominal incision. Both donor and recipient recovered well, without acute complications. To our knowledge, this is the first case reported in the literature. The technical feasibility of this minimally invasive approach is demonstrated, exemplifying the novel exciting opportunities offered by robotic technology.

Background: One of the perceived major drawbacks of minimally invasive techniques has always been its cost. This is especially true for the robotic approach and is one of the main reasons that has prevented its wider acceptance among hospitals and surgeons. The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes and economic impact of robotic and open liver surgery in a single institution.Methods: Sixty-eight robotic and 55 open hepatectomies were performed at our institution between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2013. Demographics, perioperative data, and postoperative outcomes were collected and compared between the two groups. An independent company performed the financial analysis. The economic parameters comprised direct variable costs, direct fixed costs, and indirect costs.Results: Mean estimated blood loss was significantly less in the robotic group (438 versus 727.8 mL; P = .038). Overall morbidity was significantly lower in the robotic group (22% versus 40%; P = .047). Clavien III/IV complications were also lower, with 4.4% in the robotic versus 16.3% in the open group (P = .043). The length of stay in the intensive care unit (ICU) was shorter for patients who underwent a robotic procedure (2.1 versus 3.3 days; P = .004). The average total cost, including readmissions, was $37,518 for robotic surgery and $41,948 for open technique.Conclusions: Robotic liver resections had less overall morbidity, ICU, and hospital stay. This translates into decreased average costs for robotic surgery. These procedures are financially comparable to open resections and do not represent a financial burden to the hospital.

Despite increasing obesity rates in the dialysis population, obese kidney transplant candidates are still denied transplantation by many centers. We performed a single‐center retrospective analysis of a robotic‐assisted kidney transplant (RAKT) cohort from January 2009 to December 2018. A total of 239 patients were included in this analysis. The median BMI was 41.4 kg/m2, with the majority (53.1%) of patients being African American and 69.4% of organs sourced from living donors. The median surgery duration and warm ischemia times were 4.8 hours and 45 minutes respectively. Wound complications (mostly seromas and hematomas) occurred in 3.8% of patients, with 1 patient developing a surgical site infection (SSI). Seventeen (7.1%) graft failures, mostly due to acute rejection, were reported during follow‐up. Patient survival was 98% and 95%, whereas graft survival was 98% and 93%, at 1 and 3 years respectively. Similar survival statistics were obtained from patients undergoing open transplant over the same time period from the UNOS database. In conclusion, RAKT can be safely performed in obese patients with minimal SSI risk, excellent graft function, and patient outcomes comparable to national data. RAKT could improve access to kidney transplantation in obese patients due to the low surgical complication rate.

This report summarizes a 5-year phase 1/2 allogeneic islet transplantation clinical trial conducted at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC). Ten patients were enrolled in this single center, open label, and prospective trial in which patients received 1–3 transplants. The first four subjects underwent islet transplantation with the Edmonton immunosuppressive regimen and the remaining six subjects received the UIC immunosuppressive protocol (Edmonton plus etanercept and exenatide). All 10 patients achieved insulin independence after 1–3 transplants. At five years of follow-up, six of the initial 10 patients were free of exogenous insulin. During the follow-up period, 7 of the 10 patients maintained positive C-peptide levels and a composite hypoglycemic (HYPO) score of 0. Most patients maintained HbA1c levels < 6.0% (42.1 mmol/mol) and a significantly improved β-score. In conclusion, this study demonstrated long-term islet graft function without using T-cell depleting induction, with an encouraging outcome that includes 60% of patients remaining insulin independent after five years of initial transplantation.

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