Ramathibodi Hospital Achieves Thailand’s First Two Robot Assisted Living Donor Liver Surgeries from Mothers to Children

Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, has successfully performed Thailand’s first two robot-assisted living donor liver surgeries involving mothers donating part of their livers to their children. Both mothers have recovered well, while the pediatric transplant recipients have been discharged from hospital, marking a significant milestone in Thailand’s advancement in robotic surgery and organ transplantation.

The Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, has announced a major achievement in Thailand’s organ transplantation field after its surgical team successfully performed robot-assisted procedures to remove the left lateral section of the liver from two living donors for transplantation into their children. According to the hospital, these were the first two procedures of their kind performed in Thailand.

The achievement was made possible through a collaboration between Ramathibodi Hospital and Severance Hospital in South Korea, which facilitated the transfer of advanced surgical knowledge and techniques in minimally invasive liver and biliary surgery, including robotic-assisted procedures. The partnership aims to strengthen the capabilities of Thai surgeons and expand treatment options for patients requiring complex organ transplantation.

As part of the collaboration, South Korean medical specialists initially demonstrated the robotic-assisted liver donor surgery technique during the first procedure. The Ramathibodi surgical team subsequently performed the second procedure under the guidance and supervision of the visiting specialists. This hands-on knowledge transfer represented an important step in developing local expertise in advanced transplant surgery.

Associate Professor Dr. Nattapol Apornsujaritkul, head of the organ transplant surgical team at Ramathibodi Hospital, explained that robotic-assisted technology allows surgeons to view the surgical area through high-definition, three-dimensional imaging while controlling specialized instruments with precision through small incisions. For appropriately selected living donors, this minimally invasive approach may help reduce postoperative pain and support faster recovery.

Living donor liver surgery is a complex procedure that requires careful consideration of both donor safety and the suitability of the donated liver tissue for transplantation. Robotic-assisted technology offers an additional surgical approach, although the medical team must assess each donor individually to determine whether the procedure is appropriate.

Following the two successful operations, Ramathibodi Hospital reported that both mothers had recovered well, while their children, who received the liver transplants, had been discharged from hospital. Dr. Nattapol noted that the successful outcomes demonstrate the potential of robotic-assisted donor surgery as an additional option for pediatric patients requiring liver transplantation.

The hospital has also continued to advance its broader robotic-assisted organ transplantation program. Previously, Ramathibodi successfully completed 20 robot-assisted kidney transplant procedures, reflecting its growing experience in applying advanced surgical technology to complex transplant operations.

Building on these achievements, the hospital plans to perform an additional 30 robot-assisted kidney transplants and seven robotic-assisted partial liver removal procedures involving living donors. The expansion is intended to further develop the expertise of Thai surgical teams while improving the quality and safety of transplant care.

The program has received financial support from the Ramathibodi Foundation, which has contributed a total of THB 4 million toward additional costs associated with robotic-assisted surgical technology. The funding helps reduce the financial burden arising from the higher costs of robotic procedures compared with conventional surgery, while also supporting medical training, professional development, and clinical research.

As the program moves forward, Ramathibodi Hospital plans to conduct long-term health monitoring of living donors and continue evaluating surgical outcomes. These efforts will help assess the safety and effectiveness of robotic-assisted transplantation and support further improvements in clinical practice.

The successful completion of Thailand’s first two robot-assisted living donor liver surgeries from mothers to children represents an important advancement in the country’s medical capabilities. It also highlights the value of international medical collaboration, technology transfer, and continued investment in advanced healthcare innovation.

With ongoing plans to expand robotic-assisted organ transplantation, Ramathibodi Hospital is strengthening Thailand’s capacity to deliver complex surgical care and creating additional treatment possibilities for patients who require life-saving organ transplants.

 

Reference:

Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University — Successful Robot-Assisted Living Donor Liver Surgeries for Pediatric Transplantation

Source: Ramathibodi Hospital announcement,