Doctors at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town have successfully conducted South Africa's first living donor kidney removal using robotic surgery technology, a medical milestone that promises faster recovery, less pain, and greater surgical precision.
In a historic breakthrough for South African healthcare, a team of surgeons at the hospital used the cutting-edge technology to carry out the pioneering operation involving a 54-year-old mother donating her kidney to her 24-year-old daughter.
The success of the procedure stems from the advanced capabilities of the robotic system used, which significantly improves visualization and control during surgery.
"The vision that you have through the robot is 3D HD, but it's up close. You can get much closer to what you're working on than you would with your naked eye. So it makes it much, much more safe, in my opinion. And the margin of error becomes much smaller than it would be before traditional surgery," said Dr. Danelo du Plessis, urologist and senior lecturer at Tygerberg Hospital and Stellenbosch University.
During the operation, surgeons removed a healthy kidney from the mother using robotic instruments and preserved vital structures so the organ could be safely transplanted.
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