Fundeni Clinical Institute performs Romania's first robotic living donor liver transplant

Medical teams at the Fundeni Clinical Institute in Romania have performed a national first: a liver transplant from a living donor using robotic surgery for the organ retrieval. The procedure was coordinated by Dr. Vlad Brașoveanu.

The donor, a 53-year-old woman, provided the right lobe of her liver to her 50-year-old husband, who was suffering from hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis associated with hepatitis C infection. The robotic approach utilized three-dimensional magnified imaging and articulated instruments to allow for high-precision dissection, which medical officials stated helps reduce operative trauma for the donor.

The surgical team included Dr. Iulian Moșteanu for the robotic retrieval, Professor Vlad Brașoveanu for the graft implantation, and Dr. Dragoș Zamfirescu for the microsurgical hepatic artery anastomosis. Both patients are reported to be recovering favorably following the operation.