National Taiwan University Hospital said yesterday it had successfully implanted a living donor kidney using the da Vinci surgical robot, touting it as the first successful use of the procedure in Asia.
“The surgery can be seen as a landmark for organ transplants,” hospital vice superintendent Lin Ming-tsan (林明燦) said at a press conference.
Compared with traditional surgery, robotic-assisted surgery is minimally invasive and can offer patients the benefits of rapid recovery and a small incision, said Tsai Meng-kun (蔡孟昆), the doctor who performed the surgery.
The da Vinci system is an innovative machine used to mirror the movement of the surgeon’s hands using two controller sticks. The system offers features such as high-definition 3D vision and magnified views.
On July 27, a kidney was removed from a 51-year-old man via laparoscopy. It was later transplanted into his 60-year-old sister using the robotic technique. The woman recovered well and was scheduled to be discharged yesterday.
“The operation went smoothly,” Tsai said, showing a video of the procedure.
He said the robotics technology not only lowers the risk of complications for patients, but also enables surgeons to perform with increased precision without leaving large scars.
Whereas open surgery leaves a 15 to 20cm scar on the abdomen, the incision on the organ recipient is estimated at just 9cm, he added.
“This is no simple task,” said Lai Hong-shiee (賴鴻緒), director of the hospital’s surgery department, quoting comments from surgeons in South Korea and Hong Kong.
“We believe this is the first robotic-assisted kidney transplant surgery to be carried out in Asia,” he said.
The hospital has completed 149 other operations using the da Vinci equipment in the past six months.
The National Immigration Agency (NIA) said yesterday that it will revoke the dependent-based residence permit of a Chinese social media influencer who reportedly “openly advocated for [China’s] unification through military force” with Taiwan. The Chinese national, identified by her surname Liu (劉), will have her residence permit revoked in accordance with Article 14 of the “Measures for the permission of family- based residence, long-term residence and settlement of people from the Mainland Area in the Taiwan Area,” the NIA said in a news release. The agency explained it received reports that Liu made “unifying Taiwan through military force” statements on her online
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck off Taitung County at 1:09pm today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 53km northeast of Taitung County Hall at a depth of 12.5km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Taitung County and Hualien County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Nantou County, Chiayi County, Yunlin County, Kaohsiung and Tainan, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage following the quake.
Tung Tzu-hsien (童子賢), a Taiwanese businessman and deputy convener of the nation’s National Climate Change Committee, said yesterday that “electrical power is national power” and nuclear energy is “very important to Taiwan.” Tung made the remarks, suggesting that his views do not align with the country’s current official policy of phasing out nuclear energy, at a forum organized by the Taiwan People’s Party titled “Challenges and Prospects of Taiwan’s AI Industry and Energy Policy.” “Taiwan is currently pursuing industries with high added- value and is developing vigorously, and this all requires electricity,” said the chairman
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) is to begin his one-year alternative military service tomorrow amid ongoing legal issues, the Ministry of the Interior said yesterday. Wang, who last month was released on bail of NT$150,000 (US$4,561) as he faces charges of allegedly attempting to evade military service and forging documents, has been ordered to report to Taipei Railway Station at 9am tomorrow, the Alternative Military Service Training and Management Center said. The 33-year-old would join about 1,300 other conscripts in the 263rd cohort of general alternative service for training at the Chenggong Ling camp in Taichung, a center official told reporters. Wang would first
RSS