Greece's first robotic hepatectomy was performed successfully at the Athens Medical Center by Dr. Konstantinos Konstantinidis, MD, PhD, FACS, Scientific Director and Director of General, Bariatric, Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery Clinic of Athens Medical Center, and his team.
A 69 year old woman with a history of severe hepatitis B and C, who was being monitored over the last few years for a liver tumor, was the patient selected for the surgery. Until recently, the disease was being treated with repeated radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Unfortunately, it was not possible to achieve the desired results. The tumour continued growing in size (from 1.5 cm to 6 cm) and surgery was the only option.
At this point, the patient approached to Athens Medical Center’s experienced team led by Dr. Konstantinidis to undergo robotic right hepatectomy. After spending 7 days in the hospital, she was released in an excellent condition and she will now be under close medical monitoring for 10 years.
Robotic liver surgery is viable, safe and offers significant advantages: 3D high definition vision and real-life imaging, with high magnification options up to 10x and a steady surgical field, which allow the surgeon to perform operations that can last several hours using instruments that move almost like the human hand. It offers increased ergonomy and reduces fatigue, so that the surgeon can carry out his work unimpeded and spend several hours in the operating theatre. At the same time, patients enjoy all the benefits of minimally invasive surgery (such as reduced pain, quick recovery, and less risk of postoperative hernias, inner tissue damage and, of course, adhesions).
After a successful operation, Dr. K. Konstantinidis stated: "The first successful robotic hepatectomy in our country is now a fact and proves that despite the economic crisis, Greek hospitals offer some of the most specialized operations in the world, delivering a message of hope for thousands of patients in Greece and abroad. We should thank Athens Medical Center and, in particular, Dr. Georgios Apostolopoulos, Chairman of AMG for making available the most modern technological means and equipment and for allowing us to take the lead and be “always being one step ahead” in Greece and abroad".
