Hepatic transplantation with the aid of the iron intern retractor.

In the majority of centers, orthotopic liver transplantation at any given time involves a team of four: the surgeon and the first, second, and third assistants. As a result, considerable skilled manpower must be available around the clock. Furthermore, the presence of four surgeons and an instrument nurse creates considerable crowding around the operating table. Although various mechanical devices have been occasionally employed by various teams for the purpose of solving these problems, no single instrument has been reported as truly helpful. During the past year, the Iron Intern, a table-mounted surgical robot that replaces up to two of the human assistants during the liver transplantation recipient operation, has been successfully employed at the University of Pittsburgh. The instrument is easy to use and versatile enough to be satisfactory under any circumstances. We believe this device is a real breakthrough in streamlining orthotopic liver transplantation.