Robotic Kidney Transplantation-an Update.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Over the last decade, there have been advances in kidney transplantation with introduction of minimally invasive surgery. Robotic surgery is becoming increasingly common across the specialities. There is now increasing experience in robotic kidney transplantation, though it remains a niche procedure. Initial reports suggest that this is a safe, feasible operation when performed by teams familiar with robotic surgery. There have been a few modifications to the initially described procedure, as a result of increasing experience.

RECENT FINDINGS: There is no significant difference in graft and patient survival when compared with open surgery and laparoscopic kidney transplantation. It is a safe procedure and therefore represents a viable alternative to open surgery in selected patients particularly the obese. The advantages include less postoperative pain and fewer wound complications such as surgical site infections and hernia, which could be particularly advantageous in the obese. Robotic kidney transplantation is procedure that has been developed over the last decade and could have applicability in kidney transplantation in the obese. Its main benefit is in enabling surgery in less accessible spaces due to body habitus, combined with those of using a smaller incision with less associated morbidity, with no inferiority in the reported primary outcomes of graft and patient survival. There are capital costs associated with this procedure, but further studies on the cost-effectiveness of robotic kidney transplantation are needed before it can be adopted widely.