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... Four months out from the actual surgery, the United States' first robot-assisted dual kidney transplant has been deemed a resounding success. The patient's health and comfort after the procedure lend robot-assisted transplant surgery an extra dose of credibility among those sitting on organ waiting lists. ...

Donor kidneys are in fairly high demand, forcing patients in need of a transplant to sit on the waitlist for three to five years. Depending on the severity of a patient's kidney failure, they might experience extreme health complications or die while awaiting a viable organ. To provide transplants to as many patients as possible, doctors occasionally utilize two "marginally effective" kidneys from a deceased donor to perform or exceed the duties of a single healthy kidney. The downside of such an approach is the potentially invasive nature of a dual-kidney transplant: Rather than making a small incision on one side of the abdomen, conventional surgery requires incisions on both sides.

With its slender instruments and imaging capabilities, robot-assisted surgery circumvents this issue. "Instead of using two incisions or a big midline incision, we can place the kidneys on both sides of the torso through one small incision," said Dr. Mohamed Eltemamy, who conducted Kukula's procedure. The robot, described only as an "advanced multiport robot" by Cleveland Clinic, offers high-definition, magnified 3D imaging in real time while exceeding the flexibility and range of motion of a human wrist. ...