At St Nicholas Children’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv, doctors used the Senhance robotic system with built-in artificial intelligence to perform a highly precise operation on an 8-year-old boy from Ternopil region and save his kidney.
The problem was discovered by chance during a routine ultrasound examination, when doctors noticed that one kidney was enlarged. At St Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv, the child was diagnosed with hydronephrosis — a condition in which urine accumulates in the kidney, gradually damaging the organ and, in some cases, leading to its complete destruction and the need for removal.
To avoid losing the kidney, the boy needed a complex minimally invasive operation. Professor Narimantas Evaldas Samalavicius of Vilnius University, one of Europe’s leading specialists in minimally invasive and robotic surgery, was invited to Lviv to perform the procedure. Together with Lviv surgeons, he operated on the boy and four other patients using the Senhance robotic system.
During the operation, the doctors precisely identified the narrowed area, removed the pathological segment of the kidney and reconstructed the organ to restore normal urine flow. The surgical robot with an artificial intelligence system makes it possible to control the camera with the surgeon’s eye movements, clearly visualise the tiniest structures and work with instruments just 3 mm in diameter. This allows interventions to be carried out with maximum precision, minimal damage to tissues and blood vessels, and very low blood loss.
During the joint operations, the Lithuanian professor assessed how well the Lviv team was prepared to work independently with the robotic system.
“You have exceeded all my expectations. This is a European-style hospital. I am glad that, despite the tense situation in Ukraine, one of the most advanced robotic systems is starting to operate here. This is about moving forward together with global medicine, reducing human error, and ensuring rapid recovery and rehabilitation of the patient after surgery,” said Narimantas Evaldas Samalavicius.
The boy is now feeling well. As a symbol of the fact that his kidney was saved thanks to modern technologies, he was given a toy transformer robot.
The First Medical Association of Lviv notes that specialists at St Nicholas Children’s Hospital are already performing around two operations a week using the Senhance system and are ready to gradually increase the number of such procedures. The Association provides a full range of modern medical care for children and adults — from diagnostics and treatment to complex surgery, rehabilitation and prosthetics, including for patients in critical condition and after severe injuries.
Parents who are considering a robotic operation for their child or need a specialist consultation can contact the surgeons at St Nicholas Children’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv for a free expert opinion.