- Physician observership at Cleveland Clinic Florida, Weston, Florida, USA at the Unit for Colorectal Surgery and General and Minimally Invasive Surgery (February-March 2014).
- Medical student at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia and spent the summer of 2012 at the Specialist Neonatal and Paediatric Surgery Unit, Institute of Child Health and Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, NHS Trust, London, England.
EDUCATION
- PhD Student: 1st October 2022 - Present, PhD Clinical and experimental medicine (CEM - PhD Course - D.M.226/2021), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia – Italy
- Specialization in General Surgery with full marks (110/110 cum Laude) on December 12th, 2019 with an experimental thesis entitled: “Robot-assisted resection versus percutaneous ablation for the treatment of single HCC lesion: experimental analysis of short and long term results of single center experience".
- Medicine and Surgery Degree at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy, on 18th July 2013 with full marks (110/110 cum Laude) and an experimental final thesis entitled: “Transperitoneal Laparoscopic Adrenalectomy in Children: Retrospective Evaluation of the first Four Cases”.
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Surgery, Transplantation
34
Scopus Publications
Scopus Publications
Excellent outcomes of living donor liver transplantation: A contemporary report from Western Center Stefano Di Sandro, Barbara Catellani, Roberta Odorizzi, Daniela Caracciolo, Samuele Frassoni, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Cristiano Quintini, Cristiano Guidetti, Paolo Magistri, Leonardo Centonze, Gian Piero Guerrini, Charles Miller, Antonio D. Pinna, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Digestive and Liver Disease, 2026 BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) helps address organ shortages but remains complex, particularly in Western countries where deceased donor liver transplantation (DDLT) is preferred. This study evaluates improvements in LDLT outcomes over time for both donors and recipients. STUDY DESIGN: A single-center retrospective analysis from 2001-2023 including two periods: P-ONE (2001-2003, 36 cases) and P-TWO (2020-2023, 27 cases). Donor surgery after October 2022 marked the shift to a full robotic approach. Recipient procedures preserved the retro-hepatic vena cava, with standard vascular and biliary reconstruction. Comparisons include demographics, complications, and survival. RESULTS: P-ONE donors were younger (median age 32 vs. 46, P=0.003), while P-TWO recipients were older (63 vs. 56 years, P=0.005) with more comorbidities. P-TWO had more cases of hepatocellular carcinoma and low-MELD cirrhosis. Donor safety improved in P-TWO, with similar major complication rates (14% vs. 11%). Recipients in P-TWO had fewer severe complications (7% vs. 81%, P<0.001) and better 3-year graft survival. CONCLUSIONS: Advances in patient selection, minimally invasive surgery, and perioperative care have significantly improved LDLT outcomes. Despite persistent biliary challenges, LDLT remains a promising solution for end-stage liver disease and liver cancer.
Robotic liver transplantation: University of Modena experience Paolo Magistri, Roberta Odorizzi, Barbara Catellani, Cristiano Guidetti, Giuseppe Esposito, Giacomo Assirati, Tiziana Olivieri, Gian Piero Guerrini, Stefano Di Sandro, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Liver Transplantation, 2026 Introduction: Minimally invasive techniques for solid organ transplantation are well established in kidney transplantation, whereas progress in liver transplantation (LT) has been comparatively slower. The transition to a fully minimally invasive approach for LT has required a gradual, stepwise development, significantly accelerated by the introduction of robotic technology. We herein report the largest series of whole graft robotic liver transplantation and provide preliminary observations. Methods: This study is a retrospective, single-arm, single-center analysis of patients who underwent fully robotic total hepatectomy followed by robotic liver transplantation (RLT) between January and December 2024. The primary aim was to assess short-term outcomes, including the incidence of complications, early allograft failure (EAF) using the EASE score, primary non-function (PNF), and both graft and patient survival. Results: Ten patients underwent RLT in the study period. Median age of the recipients in the study group was 63 (56-71), with a median BMI of 26 Kg/m2 (range 21-32) and 80% of ASA score of 2. Median MELD was 8.5 (6-25), 80% of the cases were in Child class A , 40% had a clinically significant portal hypertension. No cases of high-grade morbidity (Clavien >3a) occurred at 30 days, nor readmissions. After a median follow-up of 10.6 months all patients are alive and in good general conditions, graft survival is 100% and liver function is optimal in all cases. Conclusions: The robotic approach to liver transplantation has demonstrated feasibility and promising short-term outcomes. However, extended follow-up is required to confirm these results over the long term with the aim to confirm outcomes comparable to benchmark results of open transplantation.
Neoadjuvant Under-Dilated TIPS: Expanding Surgeries for Extrahepatic Malignancies in Patients With Cirrhosis and CSPH Dario Saltini, Davide Roccarina, Marco Senzolo, Cristian Caporali, Fabrizio Fanelli, Marcello Bianchini, Federico Casari, Angelica Ingravallo, Silvia Aspite, Tomas Guasconi, Antonio Piscopo, Andrea Salome Velasco Mayorga, Barbara Catellani, Gian Piero Guerrini, Stefano Di Sandro, Fabio Staderini, Umberto Cillo, Fabrizio Di Benedetto, Antonio Colecchia, Fabio Marra, Patrizia Burra, Francesco Vizzutti, Filippo Schepis Liver International, 2026 Background & Aims Portal hypertension is a major challenge in patients with cirrhosis requiring surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of under‐dilated neoadjuvant transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (U.N‐TIPS) in enabling elective extrahepatic oncologic surgery in patients with cirrhosis and clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). Methods This retrospective multicenter analysis included 34 patients who underwent U.N‐TIPS (diameter 5–7 mm) between June 2018 and April 2023. The primary outcome was the ability of U.N‐TIPS to enable surgical interventions otherwise contraindicated. Secondary outcomes were perioperative complications, overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE), heart failure, and survival rates at 6 months and 1 year post‐TIPS. Results At baseline, 53% of patients had decompensated cirrhosis. The most common malignancies were colorectal (32%) and gastric (15%). Final diameters were 5/6/7 mm in 9/17/8 patients, respectively. Mean porto‐caval pressure gradient (PCPG) significantly decreased from 21 ± 4.5 to 11 ± 3.2 mmHg ( p < 0.001), with all patients achieving PCPG < 16 mmHg. Thirty‐two patients (94%) underwent planned surgery, with a median TIPS‐to‐surgery interval of 42 days (IQR 45). Postoperative complications occurred in 38% of patients—mostly infections—and were independently associated with pre‐surgery MELD score and haemoglobin. Post‐TIPS OHE occurred in 22%, with no persistent cases; symptomatic heart failure developed in 6%. Six‐month and one‐year survival rates were 85% and 76%, respectively, without significant difference between pre‐TIPS compensated and decompensated patients ( p = 0.21). Conclusions U.N‐TIPS represents an applicable strategy for enabling curative oncologic surgery in selected patients with cirrhosis and CSPH. Under‐dilation reduces shunt‐related complications while preserving hemodynamic efficacy, expanding TIPS applicability. Impact and Implications U.N‐TIPS addresses the critical barrier of portal hypertension in oncologic patients with cirrhosis, offering access to surgical treatments considered unfeasible while maintaining an adequate safety profile. These findings are particularly significant for hepatologists, oncologists, interventional radiologists, and surgeons managing the increasingly common clinical scenario of cirrhosis with concurrent extrahepatic malignancies. In clinical practice, our results support the implementation of multidisciplinary tumour boards that incorporate portal pressure assessment and TIPS indication in pre‐surgical planning. However, large, controlled studies are needed to compare outcomes between compensated patients with CSPH who undergo U.N‐TIPS versus those who do not receive this intervention.
The Italian landscape of robotic-assisted kidney transplantation: results from a national survey C. Guidetti, S. Serni, U. Boggi, A. Solinas, F. Tanese, A. Lauterio, A. Volpe, B. Catellani, G. P. Guerrini, T. M. Manzia, D. Lorenzin, A. Puzziello, M. Romano, M. Spada, A. Antonelli, G. Carcano, N. Bossini, M. Iaria, M. Vivarelli, M. Rossi, P. Rigotti, L. Furian, R. I. Troisi, S. Di Sandro, F. Di Benedetto Updates in Surgery, 2026 Robotic-assisted kidney transplantation (RAKT) is an emerging minimally invasive alternative to open surgery that offers potential benefits in selected recipients. Despite increasing international interest, its implementation across transplant centers remains variable. This study aims to describe the current status, challenges, and perspectives on RAKT in Italy through a nationwide survey. A web-based questionnaire was distributed to all active kidney transplant centers in Italy. The survey collected data on institutional experience, surgical techniques, intraoperative technologies, perceived barriers, and future directions. Responses were anonymized and analyzed descriptively. Twenty-one out of 39 centers responded (54%). Nine centers were actively performing RAKT at the time of the survey. The median number of RAKT cases per center was 5 (range 1–85), with Da Vinci Xi being the most used platform. Intraoperative tools such as indocyanine green fluorescence and robotic Doppler were variably adopted to verify graft perfusion. Reported operative times ranged from 143 to 410 min (median 215 min), with low conversion rates. Main barriers to adoption included limited access to the robotic platform and lack of structured training. All centers supported the creation of a national registry and expressed interest in collaborative studies. This survey provides the first national overview of RAKT in Italy, highlighting both technical feasibility and structural challenges. The findings support the need for coordinated training efforts, shared data, and policy-level initiatives to foster equitable access to robotic transplant surgery.
Global Outcomes of Open Versus Laparoscopic Versus Robotic Donor Hepatectomy: A Prospective Study From the International LDLT Registry (LDLTregistry.org) The LDLTregistry.org Collaborative Transplantation, 2026 Background. Living donor liver transplantation is a critical solution to the global organ shortage. Comparisons of donor short-term outcomes according to the surgical approach are limited to a few single-center retrospective studies. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term outcomes of open, laparoscopic, and robotic surgical approaches to living donor hepatectomy using data from the prospective International Living Donor Liver Transplantation Registry (LDLTregistry.org). Methods. Data from 2600 living donors undergoing hepatectomy were prospectively collected from September 2023 to February 2025. Donors were grouped into open (1726; 66.4%), laparoscopic (242; 9.3%), and robotic (632; 24.3%) approaches. Results. The mean donor age was 33 (SD 9.4) y, with 45% women and a mean body mass index of 24.7 kg/m² (SD 6.5). Conversion rates were 15.3% for laparoscopic and 5.1% for robotic approaches (odds ratio, 0.30; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.50; P < 0.001). Robotic hepatectomy was associated with the lowest intraoperative blood loss (70 mL; interquartile range, 50–100), lowest pain scores on postoperative day 1 (visual analog scale, 2.3; SD 1.9), and shortest hospital stay (4 d; interquartile range, 3–5). Robotic hepatectomy was associated with the lowest overall (grade ≥1; 4.6%) and major (grade ≥3a; 0.3%) complication rates compared with laparoscopic (16.5% overall, 3.7% major) and open (10.4% overall, 1.9% major) approaches ( P < 0.001). Conclusions. This is the first global study to show evidence that robotic living donor hepatectomy offers superior short-term outcomes compared with laparoscopic and open approaches. Although open surgery remains the most common approach, robotic techniques show promise for improving donor safety and recovery.
Arterial anastomosis in LDLT: techniques and risks Stefano Di Sandro, Barbara Catellani, Deniz Balci, Fabrizio Di Benedetto, and Updates in Surgery, 2025 Reconstructing the hepatic artery in adult living donor liver transplantation is technically challenging, with complications leading to significant morbidity and mortality. Early arterial thrombosis can result in a mortality rate up to 50%, often necessitating re-transplantation. The most common techniques for arterial anastomosis include end-to-end reconstruction with interrupted or continuous sutures, either using magnifying loupes or a microscope. Although microscopes provide enhanced precision, they do not significantly reduce early thrombosis rates compared to loupes but increase surgical time. Overall, surgeons can achieve early thrombosis rates below 1% with experience and evolving techniques.
Sequential Hypothermic and Normothermic Machine Perfusion of Extended Criteria Donors in Liver Transplantation: A Single-Center Preliminary Experience Paolo Magistri, Silvia Zamboni, Barbara Catellani, Cristiano Guidetti, Giuseppe Esposito, Daniela Caracciolo, Roberta Odorizzi, Giacomo Assirati, Tiziana Olivieri, Samuele Frassoni, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Gian Piero Guerrini, Stefano Di Sandro, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Artificial Organs, 2025 IntroductionLiver transplantation (LT) is the sole curative option for liver failure and other primary liver conditions. However, the limited number of suitable donors compared with the growing number of patients requiring LT remains a leading cause of mortality among those on the waiting list. This has resulted in the expansion of criteria for donor eligibility. The sequential combination of ex situ reperfusion, dHOPE, and NMP helps reduce the occurrence of ischemia–reperfusion injury and assess organ viability prior to transplantation.MethodsThis is a retrospective, single‐arm, single‐center study including all cases of liver grafts that underwent sequential perfusion between October 2021 and July 2024. Eligibility criteria for sequential perfusion were extended criteria DBD with macrosteatosis > 35%, use of high‐dose vasopressors during donor ICU stay or episodes of cardiac arrest, hemodynamic instability during procurement, prolonged ischemia time for logistic reasons, as well as DCD showing prolonged fWIT, flow alteration during normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), and DCDs in Maastricht 2 class. Viability was assessed following the Groeningen group criteria.ResultsThirty‐three cases were included and 16 met the viability criteria at the end of the sequential perfusion and were transplanted. One patient developed an early allograft failure (EAF) and another a primary nonfunction (PNF). All the other patients had a regular postoperative course, with no retransplantation, 56% of the cohort showing no postoperative complication and all currently in good standing, median follow‐up 19 months (range 4–39).ConclusionsSequential dHOPE and NMP is a strategy that can help assessing both viability and functionality of liver grafts from high‐risk donors, expanding the donor pool and increasing the opportunities for patients on the waiting list to get a transplant.
Feasibility, safety, and outcome of second-line nivolumab/bevacizumab in liver transplant patients with recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma Lorenza Di Marco, Alessandra Pivetti, Francesco Giuseppe Foschi, Roberto D’Amico, Filippo Schepis, Cristian Caporali, Federico Casari, Simone Lasagni, Rosina Maria Critelli, Fabiola Milosa, Adriana Romanzi, Gemma Marcelli, Nicola De Maria, Dante Romagnoli, Barbara Catellani, Filippo Scianò, Paolo Magistri, Antonio Colecchia, Pamela Sighinolfi, Fabrizio Di Benedetto, Maria-Luz Martinez-Chantar, Erica Villa Liver Transplantation, 2023
Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia in patients with decompensated cirrhosis: a case series Erica Franceschini, Giovanni Dolci, Antonella Santoro, Marianna Meschiari, Alice Riccò, Marianna Menozzi, Giulia Jole Burastero, Biagio Cuffari, Nicola De Maria, Lucia Serio, Emanuela Biagioni, Barbara Catellani, Stefano Di Sandro, Antonio Colecchia, Massimo Girardis, Fabrizio Di Benedetto, Cristina Mussini International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2023
Safety and Efficacy of Robotic vs Open Liver Resection for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Fabrizio Di Benedetto, Paolo Magistri, Stefano Di Sandro, Carlo Sposito, Christian Oberkofler, Ellie Brandon, Benjamin Samstein, Cristiano Guidetti, Alexandros Papageorgiou, Samuele Frassoni, Vincenzo Bagnardi, Pierre-Alain Clavien, Davide Citterio, Tomoaki Kato, Henrik Petrowsky, Karim J. Halazun, Vincenzo Mazzaferro, , Barbara Catellani, Gian Piero Guerrini, Jorgelina Coppa, Maria Flores JAMA Surgery, 2023
Endothelial angiopoietin-2 overexpression in explanted livers identifies subjects at higher risk of recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation Simone Lasagni, Filippo Leonardi, Alessandra Pivetti, Lorenza Di Marco, Federico Ravaioli, Matteo Serenari, Stefano Gitto, Rosina Maria Critelli, Fabiola Milosa, Adriana Romanzi, Serena Mancarella, Francesco Dituri, Mattia Riefolo, Barbara Catellani, Paolo Magistri, Dante Romagnoli, Ciro Celsa, Marco Enea, Nicola de Maria, Filippo Schepis, Antonio Colecchia, Calogero Cammà, Matteo Cescon, Antonietta d’Errico, Fabrizio di Benedetto, Gianluigi Giannelli, Maria Luz Martinez-Chantar, Erica Villa Frontiers in Oncology, 2022
Predictors of solid extra-hepatic non-skin cancer in liver transplant recipients and analysis of survival: A long-term follow-up study Stefano Gitto, Paolo Magistri, Luca Marzi, Nicolò Mannelli, Nicola De Maria, Andrea Mega, Giovanni Vitale, Giovanna Valente, Francesco Vizzutti, Erica Villa, Fabio Marra, Pietro Andreone, Margherita Falcini, Barbara Catellani, Gian Piero Guerrini, Valentina Serra, Stefano Di Sandro, Roberto Ballarin, Guido Piai, Filippo Schepis, Marzia Margotti, Carmela Cursaro, Paolo De Simone, Stefania Petruccelli, Paola Carrai, Paolo Forte, Claudia Campani, Heinz Zoller, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Annals of Hepatology, 2022
Not just minor resections: robotic approach for cystic echinococcosis of the liver Paolo Magistri, Annarita Pecchi, Erica Franceschini, Benedetta Pesi, Simone Guadagni, Barbara Catellani, Giacomo Assirati, Cristiano Guidetti, Gian Piero Guerrini, Giuseppe Tarantino, Roberto Ballarin, Mauro Codeluppi, Luca Morelli, Andrea Coratti, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Infection, 2019
University of Modena Experience With Liver Grafts From Donation After Circulatory Death: What Really Matters in Organ Selection? Tiziana Olivieri, Paolo Magistri, Cristiano Guidetti, Stefano Baroni, Simone Rinaldi, Giacomo Assirati, Barbara Catellani, Giovanni Chierego, Cosetta Cantaroni, Filippo Bondi, Anselmo Campagna, Gabriela Sangiorgi, Annarita Pecchi, Valentina Serra, Giuseppe Tarantino, Roberto Ballarin, Gian Piero Guerrini, Massimo Girardis, Elisabetta Bertellini, Fabrizio Di Benedetto Transplantation Proceedings, 2019
Robotic liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A systematic review Paolo Magistri, Giuseppe Tarantino, Giacomo Assirati, Tiziana Olivieri, Barbara Catellani, Gian Piero Guerrini, Roberto Ballarin, Fabrizio Di Benedetto International Journal of Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery, 2019
Transperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children Barbara Catellani, Sara Acciuffi, Diego Biondini, Pier Luca Ceccarelli, Alfredo Cacciari, Roberta Gelmini Journal of the Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons, 2014
Publications
Stefano Di Sandro , Barbara Catellani , Daniela Caracciolo , Giuseppe Esposito , Roberta Odorizzi , Tiziana Olivieri , Giacomo Assirati , Cristiano Guidetti , Paolo Magistri , Giacomo Mori , Gabriele Donati , Gian Piero Guerrini , Fabrizio Di Benedetto. "The robotic living donor kidney donation: technical aspects and European Journal of Transplantatoion EJT 2024;2:1-8. DOI: 10.57603/EJT-310
