In a groundbreaking medical achievement, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh successfully performed a liver lobe transplant on an eight-year-old child using advanced robotic surgery. This marks a significant advancement in pediatric care and surgical innovation.
The young patient, suffering from end-stage liver failure, required immediate intervention. Due to his small body size and limited surgical access, the procedure presented unique challenges. Robotic surgical systems are typically used for adults, but KFSHRC’s experienced transplant team adapted the technology for pediatric use through precise planning and customization.
“This was not just a technical adaptation. We had to redesign the entire surgical approach to suit the child’s anatomy,” said Professor Dieter Broering, Executive Director of the Organ Transplant Centre of Excellence and lead surgeon. “We repositioned the entry points for the robotic instruments to ensure maximum safety and accuracy.”
The procedure involved transplanting the left lobe of a liver from a living donor using robotic tools without any direct manual intervention. This minimally invasive approach significantly reduced the size of incisions, lowered the risk of complications, and accelerated recovery. The child was discharged just two weeks after surgery, compared to the typical one-month hospital stay for similar cases.
This successful operation sets a new standard for the use of robotics in pediatric surgery. It highlights the potential for applying advanced surgical technologies to younger patients while maintaining the highest standards of safety and care. It also opens the door for future development of robotic systems specifically designed for children.
KFSHRC continues to lead globally in robotic surgery. The hospital previously performed the world’s first fully robotic heart transplant and the first robotic liver transplant. These milestones align with the objectives of the Health Sector Transformation Program, a key initiative of Saudi Vision 2030, led by H.R.H. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
KFSHRC has been ranked first in the Middle East and Africa and 15th globally among the world’s top 250 Academic Medical Centres for the third consecutive year. It has also been recognized as the most valuable healthcare brand in the region and was featured in Newsweek’s World’s Best Smart Hospitals 2025 list.
