About this Research Topic
In this scenario, robotic kidney transplantation (RKT) from both living and deceased donors has been shown to be technically feasible and safe if performed by surgeons with extensive experience in robotic surgery and open kidney transplantation at referral centres. In this regard, RKT represents a minimally invasive technique that offers unique advantages for both surgeons and patients. While the global experience on RKT is currently limited to selected high-volume centres, RKT is being increasingly performed by transplant centres worldwide and is a source of great debate within the scientific community.
The goal of the Research Topic “Current perspectives in robotic kidney transplantation” is to provide readers, researchers and surgeons a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and on the future perspectives in robotic kidney transplantation. In particular, through a series of original articles (with or without accompanying editorial comments), the Research Topic will offer the opportunity to explore different perspectives in RKT, including the mid-long term outcomes of RKT from living donors, the comparison of perioperative and functional outcome after robotic versus open kidney transplantation, the technical and logistical challenges of RKT from deceased donors, the impact of the robotic technology on perioperative outcomes and complications, the frontier of robotic kidney auto-transplantation, the perioperative planning of RKT with 3-D models and finally a step-by-step overview of the most recent surgical advances in RKT technique with special emphasis on colour-guided surgery.
The ultimate goal of the Research Topic is to provide the evidence base for further developments of RKT in transplant centres with experience in robotic surgery worldwide, making it possible to increase the number of recipients who may benefit from this minimally-invasive approach. The Research Topic aims to include original articles on the following themes:
• Perioperative and functional outcomes after robotic versus open kidney transplantation from living donors (potentially with a matched-pair analysis)
• Perioperative and functional outcomes after robotic versus open kidney transplantation from donors after brain-dead
• Surgical and perioperative outcomes after robotic kidney transplantation using grafts with multiple vessels
• Current experience with robotic kidney auto-transplantation
• Outcomes of robotic versus open kidney transplantation in obese patients
• Current surgical techniques for robotic kidney transplantation with intraoperative fluorescence vascular imaging
• Surgical outcomes after robotic kidney transplantation using right- versus left-sided grafts
• The impact of 3-D models for preoperative planning of robotic kidney transplantation
Keywords: Kidney Transplantation, Robotic Surgery, Perioperative Outcomes, Auto-Transplantation, 3D Models
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