Robotic Liver Transplants at KFSHRC Now Available for Children

Riyadh: King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has successfully performed its first robotic liver transplant on a child, expanding the scope of robotic surgery to include pediatric care. The groundbreaking procedure was carried out on an eight-year-old child who recovered and was discharged within two weeks—half the usual recovery time for similar transplants.

Precision and Innovation in Pediatric Surgery

The child’s condition was critical, requiring an urgent liver transplant. However, the small size of his body and the limited space for surgical access presented significant challenges. Drawing on its extensive experience in robotic organ transplants for adults, KFSHRC’s medical team developed a customized surgical plan. The approach involved precisely adjusting the robotic instrument entry points to accommodate the child’s anatomy.

Professor Dieter Broering, Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence and lead surgeon for the case, explained the breakthrough:

“Robotic surgical techniques have traditionally been limited to adults, but we succeeded in adapting them for children, offering exceptional precision and a marked reduction in complications.”

The surgery involved removing the left lobe of the liver from a living donor and transplanting it into the child using a robotic surgical system without any direct manual intervention. This approach minimized the size of the surgical incisions, reduced the risk of complications, and accelerated the recovery process.

Expanding Robotic Surgery to Pediatric Care

This successful robotic liver transplant marks a significant milestone in pediatric healthcare, demonstrating how advanced surgical technology can be tailored to suit children’s unique anatomical needs. The procedure offers:

• Precision: Enhanced control with robotic instruments.
• Safety: Reduced surgical complications.
• Faster Recovery: Discharge in two weeks instead of the standard month.

KFSHRC: A Global Leader in Robotic Surgery

This achievement is part of a series of milestones that have established KFSHRC as a global leader in robotic surgery, including:

• The world’s first fully robotic heart transplant.
• The world’s first robotic liver transplant.
• Consistently ranking first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally in the World’s Top 250 Academic Medical Centres by Brand Finance 2025.

KFSHRC’s commitment to innovation is aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Health Sector Transformation Program, part of Vision 2030. This initiative, launched by H.R.H Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, aims to provide world-class healthcare to all citizens.

Recognized Excellence in Healthcare

KFSHRC has been named the most valuable healthcare brand in the Kingdom and the Middle East by Brand Finance 2025. It was also included in Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals list for 2025, a testament to its pioneering use of advanced technologies.

For more information, visit KFSHRC website or contact our media team at [email protected].