Dr. Andrew Posselt Jumpstarts Laparoscopic Donor Nephrectomy Program in Cali, Colombia

In another demonstration of the Department of Surgery's commitment to global health and outreach, UCSF transplant surgeon Andrew M. Posselt, M.D., Ph.D., recently travelled to Cali, Colombia to help lay the groundwork for a laparoscopic donor nephrectomy program at the Fundacion Clinica Valle del Lili, a leading hospital in the region. Working with the transplant division chief Dr. Juan Pablo Carbonell Caicedo and his colleague Dr. Gabriel Jaime Echeverri, Dr. Posselt and the hospital’s transplant team successfully performed six (6) laparoscopic donor nephrectomies in a five-day span. These were the first ever total laparoscopic donor nephrectomies performed in Colombia, and the first right laparoscopic donor nephrectomy in that country. The local surgeons in Cali marvelled at the improved recovery time compared with the traditional open procedure. Post-operative pain was dramatically lessened and the average hospital stay was reduced from nearly a week to 2-3 days. After patients heard the group would be performing transplants using a minimally invasive laparoscopic approach, potential donors quickly surfaced, all eager to participate. Dr. Posselt and his fellow surgeons thus established a solid foundation for the Foundation's program to grow, a successful innovative effort showcasing UCSF as a leader in global surgery and global health.