First kidney transplant in Switzerland performed by DaVinci robot

Together with our colleagues from vascular surgery, we successfully performed the first three robotic kidney transplants at the Department of Urology under the supervision of Prof. Anant Kumar from New Delhi. A great achievement of our team: Chief consultant Dr. Nicole Ebinger and Medical Director Prof. Helge Seifert, Urology, as well as LA PD Dr. Thomas Wolff and Senior Physician Shuaib Akifi, Vascular Surgery.

This interdisciplinary project involving nephrology, urology and vascular surgery was launched on the initiative of Prof. Helge Seifert. Training and courses were completed, as well as hands-on training with Prof. Anant Kumar at the Max Superspeciality Hospital in New Delhi, the world's largest center for this procedure.

The living kidney donation program was switched to the DaVinci robot back in February, and now both the removal of the kidney from the donor using the DaVinci and the implantation of the organ are carried out robotically by the urology/vascular surgery team.

The kidney is the organ most frequently required for transplantation. We carry out living kidney donations at the USB on a weekly basis.

The advantages for patients, who previously all had to undergo open surgery, lie in the minimally invasive nature of robotic removal and implantation; this means less blood loss, less pain, fewer wound infections and faster recovery.