First Robotic Liver Transplantation Performed Successfully in Portugal
Portugal has made history in the field of medical surgery by performing the first simultaneous use of two surgical robots in a fully robotic living donor liver transplant in Europe. This groundbreaking procedure was carried out at Lisbon's Curry Cabral Hospital by the São José Local Health Unit (ULS São José) in July 2025 [1][2].
The innovative approach involved one robot extracting part of the donor's liver while a second robot simultaneously removed the recipient's liver and implanted the donated partial organ [1][2]. This method is distinct as the only prior fully robotic living donor liver transplant in Europe, performed in Modena, Italy, used a single robot, with the procedures carried out sequentially rather than simultaneously [1][2].
This significant advancement in the surgical field marks Portugal as the first in Europe to conduct simultaneous robotic living donor liver transplant surgeries [1][2].
Robotics Play a Crucial Role in Portugal's Healthcare
Portugal is one of the pioneering countries in robotic liver transplantation, according to Hugo Pinto Marques, director of the Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Transplant Center at the São José Local Health Unit. The use of robotics in the São José University Hospital allows the National Health Service to remain at the forefront of international healthcare [3].
Rosa Valente de Matos, president of the São José Health Unit, shares this sentiment, emphasising that the robotic liver transplant is "another excellent example" of the institution's commitment to innovation and robotics [3]. Valente de Matos also argues that robotic surgery is a way to attract and retain healthcare professionals in the SNS [4].
Robotics in Action
The São José University Hospital has been at the forefront of robotic surgery since 2019, when it began in the then Central Lisbon University Hospital Center (CHULC) [5]. The hospital used two surgical robots simultaneously during the fully robotic living donor liver transplant, as mentioned earlier [2].
One team used a robot to extract part of the donor's liver through small holes, while another team used a second robot to extract the recipient's liver and place the donated partial organ [2]. The donor and the recipient, who had chronic liver disease and cancer, recovered without problems [6].
References
[1] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17425 [2] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17424 [3] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17423 [4] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17422 [5] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17421 [6] https://www.sao-jose.min-saude.pt/noticias/noticia.aspx?id=17420
Portugal's advancement in healthcare, particularly in the field of medical-conditions like liver disease, has been highlighted by the use of robotics for surgeries. The São José Local Health Unit in Portugal, a pioneer in robotic liver transplantation, conducted the first simultaneous use of two surgical robots in a fully robotic living donor liver transplant in Europe in 2025, contributing to the country's prominence in science and health-and-wellness innovations.
