For the first time in Ukraine, pediatric surgeons in Lviv have successfully performed a complex bile duct reconstruction surgery on a newborn girl using the Da Vinci robotic surgical system. The groundbreaking Kasai procedure was carried out at St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, part of the First Medical Association of Lviv.
Shortly after her birth, baby Oksanka from Ivano-Frankivsk region developed signs of jaundice—yellowing of the skin and eyes. Her parents sought medical help, and doctors diagnosed her with biliary atresia — a rare and life-threatening condition where bile cannot exit the liver due to a congenital defect. Left untreated, the condition leads to liver failure and, ultimately, death.
The only life-saving solution was the Kasai procedure, which must be done before the infant reaches three months of age. The family turned to Lviv’s Center for Cholestatic Diseases—the only one of its kind in Western Ukraine.
Using the Da Vinci Si robotic-assisted system, surgeons replicated the advanced Kasai technique commonly used in Japan, the USA, and South Korea. With its help, they were able to form a new bile drainage channel without blood loss.
While the operation does not cure the condition completely, it provides a crucial window for children like Oksanka to grow stronger and live long enough to eventually receive a liver transplant.
Following the surgery, the girl’s condition has significantly improved — jaundice symptoms have decreased, and her life is no longer at risk. Doctors will monitor her monthly as she continues to recover.
In total, nearly 100 pediatric surgeries using the Da Vinci system have been completed at the First Medical Association of Lviv, making it one of the leading institutions in Eastern Europe. St. Nicholas Hospital remains the only facility in Ukraine performing robotic surgeries on children.