Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of initial robotic surgery for rectal cancer in the introduction phase. This study retrospectively evaluated patients who underwent initial robotic surgery (n = 36) vs. patients who underwent conventional laparoscopic surgery (n = 95) for rectal cancer. We compared the clinical and pathological characteristics of patients using a propensity score analysis and clarified short-term outcomes, urinary function, and sexual function at the time of robotic surgery introduction. The mean surgical duration was longer in the robot-assisted laparoscopy group compared with the conventional laparoscopy group (288.4 vs. 245.2 min, respectively; p = 0.051). With lateral pelvic lymph node dissection, no significant difference was observed in surgical duration (508.0 min for robot-assisted laparoscopy vs. 480.4 min for conventional laparoscopy; p = 0.595). The length of postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the robot-assisted laparoscopy group compared with the conventional laparoscopy group (15 days vs. 13.0 days, respectively; p = 0.026). Conversion to open surgery was not necessary in either group. The International Prostate Symptom Score was significantly lower in the robot-assisted laparoscopy group compared with the conventional laparoscopy group. Moderate-to-severe symptoms were more frequently observed in the conventional laparoscopy group compared with the robot-assisted laparoscopy group (p = 0.051). Robotic surgery is safe and could improve functional disorder after rectal cancer surgery in the introduction phase. This may depend on the surgeon’s experience in performing robotic surgery and strictly confined criteria in Japan.
Highlights
Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases worldwide [1]
With robot-assisted laparoscopy, the proportion of patients with upper rectal cancer was higher compared with the proportion of patients who underwent conventional laparoscopy
Only high anterior resection and low anterior resection were performed in initial cases of robot-assisted laparoscopy
Summary
Rectal cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases worldwide [1]. Improvements in the prognosis of rectal cancer have been achieved by adjuvant and neoadjuvant chemotherapy; surgery is the mainstay of treatment and is the only method to cure rectal cancer.Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is being increasingly used as a standard treatment as it has similar oncological outcomes to open surgery with potentially lower morbidity rates and better operative short-term and oncological1 3 Vol.:(0123456789)Journal of Robotic Surgery outcomes [2, 3]. Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer is being increasingly used as a standard treatment as it has similar oncological outcomes to open surgery with potentially lower morbidity rates and better operative short-term and oncological. The superiority of laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer is controversial. Two large multi-center randomized clinical trials were unable to confirm the non-inferiority of laparoscopic surgery compared with open surgery in terms of the pathological completeness of resected specimens [4, 5]. Two major alternate trials report evidence that support the use of laparoscopic surgery in terms of pathological outcomes [6, 7]. It should be noted that these trials may not support laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer as a standard method of care
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
