The feasibility and early outcomes of fully robotic recipient adult living donor liver transplantation: A narrative review

Robotic surgery has emerged as a new frontier in liver transplantation. Given the novelty of its application to recipient procedures, a comprehensive overview is crucial. This narrative review synthesizes the fragmented, foundational data on fully robotic recipient adult living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) on the basis of an appraisal of initial case reports and preliminary comparative studies. The literature demonstrates the technical feasibility and favorable safety profile of the robotic approach. A significant reduction in morbidity was observed, as evidenced by a lower comprehensive complication index, reduced blood loss and transfusion need, and a lower incidence of postoperative infections. These benefits were reflected in significantly shorter intensive care unit and hospital stays. While the robotic approach was associated with prolonged operative and ischemia times, the studies revealed that these approaches did not compromise outcomes, with higher 6-month recipient survival noted in the robotic group. Fully robotic recipient LDLT is a groundbreaking technique, although the current evidence consists of initial case reports and non-randomized comparative data from a single center. The available literature suggests a promising safety profile and significant short-term benefits, but these preliminary findings require validation through multicenter, high-level research.