▲ Professor Sung Shin and Senior Clinical Instructor Jin-Myung Kim from the Division of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at Asan Medical Center (sixth and seventh from the left) , along with the medical team, are posed for a commemorative photo with Ms. Kayeong Lee (center), who underwent robotic kidney transplantation for polycystic kidney disease, and her sister older sister, the kidney donor (fourth from the left).

Professor Sung Shin and Senior Clinical Instructor Jin-Myung Kim from the Division of Kidney and Pancreas Transplantation at Asan Medical Center recently succeeded in performing a robotic kidney transplant on Ms. Kayeong Lee (24), whose kidneys had grown to seven times their normal size due to autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This marks the first successful robotic kidney transplantation for a patient with polycystic kidney disease (PKD) in Asia and only the third case reported globally.

PKD is a genetic disorder characterized by the formation of numerous cysts in the kidneys, which can grow as large as the size of a football. It typically progresses to chronic kidney failure. In standard kidney transplantation procedures for patients with chronic kidney failure, the original kidneys are usually left in place. However, for patients with PKD, the massively enlarged kidneys must be removed from both sides to make room for the transplanted kidney and to reduce the risk of complications. Due to the complexity of this procedure, open surgery, which offers better visibility, has been the conventional approach to ensure patient safety. However, based on their extensive experience of performing 180 robotic kidney transplants with excellent surgical outcomes, Prof. Shin’s team decided to proceed with a robotic approach, which offers significant advantages in both transplant success and patient recovery.

The team made three small 1 cm incisions around the navel and a 6 cm incision for inserting the donor kidney. Through these, robotic arms were used to safely remove both enlarged native kidneys and transplant a healthy kidney donated by Ms. Lee’s older sister. The procedure resulted in minimal blood loss, and Ms. Lee recovered without complications, allowing her to be discharged just five days after surgery in good health.