This study highlights our initial experience using the new Bitrack surgical robotic platform in human nephrectomy procedures. The Bitrack system, developed in Barcelona, Spain, features an open console for surgeons and a robotic unit with four independently articulated arms mounted on a single column, each with its own fulcrum point. This prospective study included three patients who underwent either simple or radical nephrectomy with the Bitrack system in 2023. Among the patients, two had nephrectomies due to chronic ureteropelvic junction obstruction and poor kidney function, while the third was a male on hemodialysis who required a radical nephrectomy to remove a 2 cm renal tumor. The median patient age was 49 years, with a median body mass index of 22.94 kg/m².
Surgical outcomes were promising: the median surgical time was 167 minutes, and the robotic docking time averaged only 1.6 minutes, demonstrating the system’s efficiency. Intraoperative blood loss was minimal (under 100cc for all patients), and no intraoperative complications or technical issues with the device occurred. The median hospital stay was brief, at only 2 days, and no complications were reported either during hospitalization or in the 30-day follow-up period.
This initial experience suggests that the Bitrack system is a safe, reliable, and efficient platform for robotic-assisted nephrectomy, with minimal blood loss and short recovery times. These findings underscore the potential of the Bitrack platform as a valuable addition to the field of robotic surgery.
