Nation’s first fully robotic living donor liver transplant performed at VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center
The groundbreaking procedure will help organ donors and recipients to recover faster, with fewer complications.
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Seung Duk Lee, M.D., Ph.D., interim surgical director of liver transplant, performed the first fully robotic-assisted living donor liver transplant (Allen Jones, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)
By Caroline Ward
VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center has cemented its position as a leader in transplant innovation, becoming the first center in the United States to perform a fully robotic liver transplant using a liver from a living donor.
Led by Seung Duk Lee, M.D., Ph.D., interim surgical director of liver transplant at Hume-Lee Transplant center, the groundbreaking procedure utilized the da Vinci 5 surgical system, the latest and most advanced robotic technology available. This milestone underscores Hume-Lee’s national reputation as a top 5 living donor liver transplant program and a top 10 liver transplant program based on transplant volume from the Organ Procurement & Transplantation Network.
“This achievement marks a new era in liver transplantation, allowing us to perform highly complex procedures with greater precision, less invasiveness, and improved outcomes for our patients,” Lee said. “Very few centers offer robotic surgery for liver transplant patients, but at Hume-Lee, we are committed to redefining what is possible in order to offer our patients safer, faster recoveries with fewer complications.”
Watch Seung Duk Lee, M.D., Ph.D., discuss the newest robotic surgical system and its benefits for transplant recipients and living donors.
Advancing liver transplantation with robotic innovation
Robotic-assisted liver transplantation offers numerous benefits over traditional open surgery, including:
- Smaller incisions, leading to reduced pain and scarring, and better cosmetic results.
- Greater precision and control, allowing for meticulous suturing and organ placement.
- Reduced blood loss and lower risk of complications.
- Shorter hospital stays and faster recovery times, enabling patients to return to their daily lives sooner.
“A procedure of this complexity requires not only cutting-edge technology but also an incredible team of experts working together,” said David Bruno, M.D., FACS, director of Hume-Lee Transplant Center. “Being the first in the nation to complete a fully robotic living donor liver transplant is a testament to the collaboration, skill and dedication of our surgeons, transplant hepatologists, and entire care team. Innovation in transplant surgery doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens through teamwork, and I'm incredibly proud of our continued advancement in this field to positively impact our patients.”
The need for liver transplants continues to grow as advanced liver disease rises across the U.S., with an estimated 4.5 million adults affected. Each year, thousands of patients are added to the liver transplant waitlist, highlighting the urgent need for innovative surgical approaches that improve access to transplantation and enhance patient outcomes.
Hume-Lee’s latest milestone follows a world-first accomplishment: In early 2025, the center became the first in the world to use the da Vinci 5 robotic system for a living liver donor surgery. This advancement ensures that living donors — who selflessly give part of their liver to save a life — heal quicker and with fewer complications.
