Revolutionary robotic surgery: Tygerberg Hospital's first living donor kidney procedure

Tygerberg Hospital has successfully performed South Africa’s first living donor kidney removal using robotic surgery technology.

The surgery, called a donor nephrectomy, was performed by urologist Dr Danelo du Plessis, a joint staff member for Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University, using the da Vinci Xi Robotic platform - a sophisticated system that enables surgeons to operate with exceptional precision through four robotic arms, controlled remotely via an immersive 3D console.

In a statement, the university said that the procedure involved a 45-year-old mother donating a kidney to her 24-year-old daughter.

“The surgery exceeded our expectations, completed in under 90 minutes,” said Dr Du Plessis.

The university further said that the donor was discharged the following day, and the transplanted kidney immediately began producing urine, indicating that the transplanted organ is functional.

While nephrectomies to remove diseased or damaged kidneys have been performed robotically in South Africa, donor nephrectomy presents significantly greater complexity, the statement read. 

Professor Elmi Muller, dean of Stellenbosch University’s faculty of medicine and health sciences and transplant surgeon, praised the team involved for their achievement. 

“Robotic surgery is a new technology that has been used safely in many parts of the world for procedures like nephrectomies and prostatectomies. It is great to see that such innovations can also happen in South Africa. 

“In a large consensus meeting around the use of robotic surgery in the field of transplantation at the end of 2024, we found that robotic surgery now provides similar results to standard laparoscopic procedures.”

Robotic surgery is a commonly used alternative to laparoscopic surgery and is regarded as equally effective where the technology is available.

Dr Matodzi Mukosi, chief executive of Tygerberg Hospital, said, “The successful robotic kidney donor surgery is a first for South Africa and a proud moment for Tygerberg Hospital. It reflects the extraordinary skill of our surgical teams and highlights the life-changing impact of medical innovation for our patients and their families.”

Dr Du Plessis has completed 200 robotic procedures, including partial nephrectomies, prostatectomies, and cystectomies, the university stated.

“When operating on perfectly healthy donors, it is essential to have a refined technique,” Dr Du Plessis said. “Living donors make this extraordinary sacrifice purely from altruism – they deserve a safe and minimally invasive procedure. This technology delivers on that promise.”