Since 2001 all living donors nephrectomies have been performed using a laparoscopic minimally invasive approach. In 2009 we introduced the transvaginal living donor nephroectomy and in 2010 the LESS (Laparo endoscopic single site surgery) technique for living donor nephrectomy. To date more than 100 transvaginal living donor nephrectomies have been performed as well as more than 60 LESS living donor nephrectomies with excellent results.
In August 2015, we introduced robotic surgery (Da Vinci system) in the kidney transplantation. Especially, but not exclusively obese recipients benefit from this technique. In several cases we have been able to introduce the kidney graft trough the vagina leaving the female recipient practically without any scars.
"Our goal is to reach a percentage of 40% of living donor kidney transplants assisted by robot. We have taken a leap forward and we want to carry on this path", says Chief of Urology and Transplant Surgeon Dr. Antonio Alcaraz. Dr. Alcaraz also indicates that "Robotic surgery is our preferred technique for living donor kidney transplantation. We reserve open surgery for cases where surgical difficulties are expected that might make the robotic approach impossible". The incorporation of robotics in kidney transplantation is a breakthrough, according to Dr. Alcaraz, because "we were not able to use conventional laparoscopy, because the instruments did not allow us to maneuver properly. With the Da Vinci we can get more movement than with a human wrist, and we can move it with high accuracy, because every movement is reproduced on a scale of 1 to 10. This means we can get a minimum displacement with a natural movement".