UI Health Care performs its first robotic living donor nephrectomy

University of Iowa Health announced in early February 2026 that it had successfully completed its first robotic living donor nephrectomy, a procedure performed by transplant surgeon Ramy El-Diwany, M.D. UI Health Care expects to expand access to kidney donations across the state, where just over 20% of kidney transplants currently come from living donors.

During the surgery, El-Diwany used a robotic system to remove a healthy kidney through three small abdominal incisions — each just 1 inch long. A camera inserted through one incision guided the surgeon, while robotic arms in the remaining incisions enabled precise separation of the kidney, blood vessels and ureter. Once freed, the kidney was extracted through a small Pfannenstiel incision, the same type commonly used in Cesarean sections. This method reduces complication risks and provides a better cosmetic result compared with traditional extraction approaches.

The robotic nephrectomy offers multiple benefits for donors, including faster recovery, reduced pain, smaller scars and shorter hospital stays. According to El-Diwany, the outcomes of robotic procedures are comparable to — or even better than — those of standard donor surgeries. Importantly, the enhanced precision of the robotic system broadens the pool of potential donors by making the procedure viable for individuals with more complex anatomy.

“It is an honor to be able to use the latest surgical technology to not only perform a procedure that will enhance the life of the recipient, but to also provide a better experience and outcome for the donor,” said Alan Reed, M.D., transplant surgeon and director of UI Health Care Transplant Center.

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