TITLE: "Don't Go Alone: Building (and Scaling) a Robotic Kidney Transplant Program"

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the stepwise progression for transitioning a surgical program from open/laparoscopic to robotic techniques, using the transplant experience (donor nephrectomy to robotic-assisted kidney transplant) as a model. 

• Recognize the general trade-offs of adopting robotic technique for an established operation, including the learning-curve effect on operative time, perioperative outcomes, and cost, without requiring transplant-specific expertise to interpret. 

• Apply the "on-ramp" principle, starting with a technically familiar, lower-risk case to build team and surgeon competency before advancing to a more complex procedure, as a transferable framework for launching any new robotic or MIS program in general surgery. 

• Assess the team, training, and institutional buy-in strategies (safety, outcomes, access, reputation) necessary to scale a robotic program safely past its initial learning curve, including how to train surgeons of varying experience levels. 

Relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies: 

Steven Bowers - Intellectual Property - Suture Shield, LLC; Consulting – BK Medical; Stock - Suture Shield, LLC   

Presenter: Michelle Nguyen - Consulting – Intuitive Surgical

All relevant financial relationships have been mitigated. 

No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies: 

Kara Robinson, Hannah Coverstone, and Austin Meyer 

References to off-label usage(s) of pharmaceuticals or instruments in their presentation:  None.
 

ATTENDANCE / CREDIT
Text the session code (provided only at the session) to 507-200-3010 within 48 hours of the live presentation to record attendance. All learners are encouraged to text attendance regardless of credit needs. This number is only used for receiving text messages related to tracking attendance. Additional tasks to obtain credit may be required based on the specific activity requirements and will be announced accordingly. Swiping your badge will not provide credit; that process is only applicable to meet GME requirements for Residents & Fellows.

TRANSCRIPT
Any credit or attendance awarded from this session will appear on your Transcript.

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