Robotic Approach Research Articles

Robotic repair of atrial septal defect: Pre-groove vertical right atriotomy approach

ObjectiveMinimally invasive repair using robotic systems has been accepted as an attractive alternative in the surgical repair of atrial septal defects (ASDs). Clear exposure of the entire rim of the ASD is often hindered during a robotic approach. Here, we describe an approach using vertical right atriotomy along the interatrial groove that may enhance the exposure of the ASD. MethodsPatients who underwent ASD closure using the da Vinci Si surgical system (Intuitive Surgical) from 2007 to 2021 were included. During ASD closure procedures, right atriotomy was performed either conventionally in an oblique manner or parallel to the interatrial groove. A comparative analysis was performed in terms of all-cause mortality, complications, and durations of cardiopulmonary bypass, aortic crossclamp, intensive care unit stay, and hospital stay. The inverse probability of treatment weighting was utilized to balance baseline characteristics across different surgical approaches. ResultsA total of 114 consecutive patients (mean age, 38.7 ± 12.8 years) constituted the study cohort. There were no cases of mortality or surgical complications in either group. After adjusting for potential covariates, the cardiopulmonary bypass (92.8 ± 31.5 minutes vs 143.1 ± 40.7 minutes) and aortic crossclamp (30.7 ± 21.3 minutes vs 60.8 ± 23.5 minutes) times were significantly shorter in the group using vertical right atriotomy than in the group using conventional approach (P < .001 for both). ConclusionsPerforming vertical right atriotomy adjacent to the interatrial groove optimized ASD exposure compared with the conventional approach during robotic ASD repair, leading to reduced cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times.

Evaluating the Differences of Wound Related Complications in Robotically Assisted Radical Cystectomy vs Open Radical Cystectomy

ObjectiveTo determine whether robotic assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) with intracorporeal urinary diversion (ICUD) compared to open radical cystectomy (ORC) or RARC with extracorporeal urinary diversion (ECUD) would result in a decreased rate of surgical site complications. RARC has been shown to be non-inferior to ORC. Both RARC and ORC are complicated by a high rate of perioperative morbidity, including wound related complications, which may be decreased by a robotic approach with intracorporeal diversion. MethodsA retrospective review of our bladder cancer database for patients undergoing radical cystectomy from 2013 to 2021. Patients were stratified by surgical technique as RARC with ICUD vs. ORC vs. RARC with ECUD. Surgical site complications were measured at both 30 and 90-day intervals. ResultsOf the 269 patients, 127 (47.2%) had RARC with ICUD, 118 (43.7%) had ORC, and 24 (8.9%) had RARC with ECUD (mean ages 71.0, 69.5, 67.5 respectively). A comparison of the three groups demonstrated statistical significance at both the 30-day (p<0.001) and 90-day (p<0.001) timeframes for total surgical site complications, with RARC with ICUD having the fewest amount of patients experience a surgical site complication (0.8%) followed by ORC (25.4%) and RARC with ECUD (29.2%). ConclusionOverall, we observed lower surgical site complication rates among patients undergoing RARC with ICUD compared to patients who underwent ORC or RARC with ECUD. This study suggests that decreased surgical site complications may be one benefit of the minimally invasive approach particularly in patients at high risk for surgical site complications after radical cystectomy.

Minimizing and managing needle and instrument loss during pediatric robotic surgery

IntroductionLost objects and equipment malfunctions during robotic and laparoscopic cases can lead to an increase in operating time and potential risk to the patient. The literature on the management of foreign bodies during pediatric robotic-assisted surgery is limited. The purpose of the video is to review proper instrument handling to prevent loss of an object and to propose our technique for retrieving lost objects through two pediatric case examples. Materials and MethodsThe first case is a robotic-assisted laparoscopic left pyeloplasty in a 6-week-old male with congenital uteropelvic junction obstruction during which a needle was lost. In the video, we describe our techniques for safe needle passage, proper suturing technique, and recovering a lost needle.The second case is a robotic-assisted right upper pole heminephrectomy in a 14-month-old female with a duplicated renal collecting system and hydroureteronephrosis. We present the management of a rare case during which a harmonic scalpel jaw malfunctioned leading to a lost foreign body. We describe our technique for retrieving the lost fragment. ResultsAll objects were safely removed, and patients were discharged post-op day one without complication. ConclusionOur video presents two case examples of foreign bodies lost during pediatric robotic surgeries and approaches to manage each of these incidents.

Impact of patient, hospital, and operative characteristics relative to social determinants of health: Compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines for colon cancer

BackgroundDespite an established association with improved patient outcomes, compliance with National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines remains suboptimal. We sought to assess the effect of patient characteristics (PCs), operative characteristics (OCs), hospital characteristics (HCs), and social determinants of health (SDoH) on noncompliance with NCCN guidelines for colon cancer. MethodsPatients treated for stage I to III colon cancer from 2004 to 2017 were identified from the National Cancer Database. Multilevel multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with receipt of NCCN-compliant care and quantify the proportion of variance explained by PCs, OCs, HCs, and SDoH. ResultsAmong 468,097 patients with colon cancer treated across 1319 hospitals, 1 in 4 patients did not receive NCCN-compliant care (122,170 [26.1%]). On regression analysis, older age (odds ratio [OR], 0.96; 95% CI, 0.96–0.96), female sex (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.96–0.99), Black race (OR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.94–0.98), higher Charlson-Deyo score (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.82–0.86), tumor stage ≥II (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.40–0.44), and tumor grade ≥ 3 (OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.32–0.34) were associated with lower odds of receiving NCCN-compliant care (all P values <.05). Higher hospital volume (OR, 1.02; 95% CI, 1.02–1.03), minimally invasive or robotic surgical approach (OR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.23–1.29), adequate (≥12) lymph node assessment (OR, 3.46; 95% CI, 3.38–3.53), private insurance status (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.26–1.40), Medicare insurance status (OR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.35–1.49), and higher educational status (OR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02–1.09) were associated with higher odds of receiving NCCN-compliant care (all P values <.05). Overall, PCs contributed 36.5%, HCs contributed 1.3%, and OCs contributed 12.9% to the variation in guideline-compliant care, while SDoH contributed only 3.6% of the variation in receipt of NCCN-compliant care. ConclusionThe variation in NCCN-compliant care among patients with colon cancer was largely attributable to patient- and surgeon-level factors, whereas SDoH were associated with a smaller proportion of the variation.

Indocyanine green (ICG)-guided robotic resection for liver adenoma: combined technologies for precision surgery.

HCA resection is crucial to prevent bleeding and malignant transformation. The aim of this study was to enhance the precision of tumor resection in hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) through the combination of intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) and indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence imaging. ICG was intravenously injected 24h before surgery, enabling positive staining of HCA nodules. IOUS guided the parenchymal transection performed using the RoboLap approach. IOUS combined with ICG effectively demarcated lesions, allowing precision surgery while sparing healthy liver tissue. Intraoperative frozen examination further validated the potential of ICG to identify previously undetected lesions. The study showed promising advantages of ICG in HCA resections, potentially reducing the risk of recurrence and malignant transformation. The combined robotic and laparoscopic approach improved the feasibility of parenchymal-sparing surgery, offering a cautious assessment of HCA lesions.

Robotic surgery for thymic cysts: clinical features, management, and results of a multicentric study.

Thymic cysts are rare, radiological diagnosis is often incidental, and cysts seldom assume clinical relevance for symptoms of compression. Thymoma were occasionally found inside both complex and simple thymic cysts. Given the challenges in accurately clinical diagnosing and since the occasionally discovering of thymoma inside both complex and simple thymic cysts, the management of thymic cysts remains controversial. Advancements in surgical tools such as robotics, applied to thymic conditions, could potentially transform the approach to thymic cysts. We report one the largest multicentric series of thymic cysts surgically treated with robotic approach, focusing on preoperative findings and surgical results. Cases were gathered from three Italian thoracic surgery centers with homogeneous clinical practice, significant experience in thymic neoplasms, and thoracic robotic skilled. Surgical intervention was indicated for patients with radiological diagnosis of thymic cysts under the following circumstances: the presence of symptoms, concurrent myasthenia gravis, cysts growing in follow-up, and the complexity of the cyst with suspicion of neoplasm. Data were collected and matched according to postoperative and pathological features to identify potential prognostic factors. Population include 57 patients, 29/28 male/female ratio with mean age of 59.46 ± 11.67years. The average size of the thymic cysts was 29.14 ± 24.53 ranged between 3 and 150mm. All patients undergone CT scan and mean of values of density was 25.82 ± 11-82 Hounsfield. Surgical procedures were robotic approach in all case including total/extended thymectomy 35 (61.4%) and cyst resection/partial thymectomy 22 (38.6%). There were no mortality or recurrence. Major complications rate was 5.3%. No correlations were observed between preoperative features and complication. Pathological examination revealed microfoci of thymic tumor in four cases. Robot-assisted surgery for thymic cysts showed excellent early clinical outcomes with low rate of postoperative complications also in case of large lesion. Thymic cysts should not be underestimated due to the risk of coexistent thymic neoplasm.

Robotic versus laparoscopic total mesorectal excision with lateral lymph node dissection for advanced rectal cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Lateral pelvic node dissection (LPND) poses significant technical challenges. Despite the advent of robotic surgery, determining the optimal minimally invasive approach remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to compare postoperative outcomes between robotic total mesorectal excision with LPND (R-LPND) and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision with LPND (L-LPND). This meta-analysis was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) 2020 and AMSTAR 2 (Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews) guidelines. Utilizing the RevMan 5.3.5 statistical package from the Cochrane Collaboration, a random-effects model was employed. Six eligible studies involving 652 patients (316 and 336 in the R-LPND and L-LPND groups, respectively) were retrieved. The robotic approach demonstrated favourable outcomes compared with the laparoscopic approach, manifesting in lower morbidity rates, reduced urinary complications, shorter hospital stays, and a higher number of harvested lateral pelvic lymph nodes. However, longer operative time was associated with the robotic approach. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding major complications, anastomotic leak, intra-abdominal infection, neurological complications, LPND time, overall recurrence, and local recurrence. In summary, the robotic approach is a safe and feasible alternative for Total Mesorectal Excision (TME) with LPND in advanced rectal cancer. Notably, it is associated with lower morbidity, particularly a reduction in urinary complications, a shorter hospital stay and increased number of harvested lateral pelvic nodes. The trade-off for these benefits is a longer operative time.

A decade of experience with 530 minimally invasive robotic hepatectomies from a single tertiary hepatobiliary center: analysis of short-term outcomes and oncologic survival

BACKGROUNDThis research presents the first study in the United States to document more than a decade of experience with 530 patients who underwent robotic hepatectomy from a single high-volume institution. METHODSWith IRB approval, a prospectively collected database of consecutive patients who underwent a robotic hepatectomy from 2012 to January 2024 was reviewed. Data are presented as median (mean ± standard deviation). RESULTSOf the 530 robotic hepatectomies, 231 (44%) were minor, 133 (25%) were technically major, and 166 (31%) were major resections. Patients were 63 (61±14.7) years old with a BMI of 28 (29±7.9). Cirrhosis was present in 80 (19%) of patients, with an ASA score of 3 (3±0.5), and MELD score of 7 (8±3.0). 280 (53%) had prior abdominal operations and 44 (8%) had prior liver resections. Operative time was 233 (260±130.7) minutes and estimated blood loss was 100 (165±205.0)mL. 353 (66%) of patients had hepatectomies for neoplastic disease. 500 (95%) had an R0 resection margin. Tumor size was 4 (5±3.6) cm. The total 90-day postoperative complications were 45 (8%) of which 21 (4%) were classified as major complications (Clavien-Dindo >3). The length of stay was 3 (4±3.7) days, and the 30-day readmission rate was 86 (16%). Overall survival at 1, 3, and 5 years was 82%/65%/59% for colorectal liver metastases, 84%/68%/60% for hepatocellular carcinoma, and 79%/61%/50% for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONSAfter a decade of application and optimization at a high-volume institution, the robotic approach has demonstrated its utility as a safe and effective approach to liver resections.

Conversion to open surgery in obese patients undergoing minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy: results from a multicenter analysis

BackgroundAlthough minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) is considered a standard approach it still presents a non-negligible rate of conversion to open that is mainly related to some difficulty factors, as obesity. The aim of this study is to analyze the preoperative factors associated with conversion in obese patients with MIDP. MethodsIn this multicenter study, all obese patients who underwent MIDP at 18 international expert centers were included. The preoperative factors associated with conversion to open surgery were analyzed. ResultsOut of 436 patients, 91 (20.9%) underwent conversion to open, presenting higher blood loss, longer operative time and similar rate of major complications. Twenty (22%) patients received emergent conversion. At univariate analysis, the type of approach, radiological invasion of adjacent organs, preoperative enlarged lymphnodes and ASA ≥ III were significantly associated with conversion to open. At multivariate analysis, robotic approach showed a significantly lower conversion rate (14.6 % vs 27.3%, OR = 2.380, p = 0.001). ASA ≥ III (OR = 2.391, p = 0.002) and preoperative enlarged lymphnodes (OR = 3.836, p = 0.003) were also independently associated with conversion. ConclusionConversion rate is significantly lower in patients undergoing robotic approach. Radiological enlarged lymphnodes and ASA ≥ III are also associated with conversion to open. Conversion is associated with poorer perioperative outcomes, especially in case of intraoperative hemorrhage.

Greater ipsilateral rectus muscle atrophy after robotic thoracic surgery compared with open and video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery approaches

ObjectiveRobotic thoracic surgery provides another minimally invasive approach in addition to video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) that yields less pain and faster recovery compared with open surgery. However, robotic incisions are generally placed more inferiorly, which may increase the risk of intercostal nerve injury that affects the abdominal wall. We hypothesized that a robotic approach causes greater ipsilateral rectus muscle atrophy compared with open and VATS approaches. MethodsThe cross-sectional area and density of bilateral rectus abdominis muscles were measured on computed tomography scans in patients who underwent lobectomy in 2018. The differences between the contralateral and ipsilateral muscles were compared between preoperative and 6-month surveillance scans. Changes were compared among the open, VATS, and robotic approaches through a mixed effects model after adjustments of correlation and covariates. ResultsOf 99 lobectomies, 25 (25.3%) were open, 56 (56.6%) VATS, and 18 (18.1%) robotic. The difference between the contralateral and ipsilateral rectus muscle cross-sectional area was significantly larger at 6 months after robotic surgery compared with open (31.4% vs 9.5%, P = .049) and VATS (31.4% vs 14.1%, P = .021). There were no significant differences in the cross-sectional area between the open and VATS approach. ConclusionsIn this retrospective analysis, there was greater ipsilateral rectus muscle atrophy associated with robotic thoracic surgery compared with open or VATS approaches. These findings should be correlated with clinical symptoms and followed to assess for resolution or persistence.

Effect of Preoperative Bilateral Ultrasound-Guided Quadratus Lumborum Nerve Block on Quality of Recovery After Minimally Invasive Hysterectomy in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Setting

Study ObjectiveTo assess the effect of preoperative bilateral ultrasound-guided quadratus lumborum nerve block (QLB) on quality of recovery after minimally invasive hysterectomy, in an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) setting. DesignRandomized, controlled, double-blinded trial (Canadian Task Force level I) SettingUniversity affiliated tertiary medical center PatientsAll women undergoing an elective robotic or laparoscopic hysterectomy. Women with chronic pain, chronic anticoagulation, and body mass index (BMI) > 50 kg/m2 were excluded. InterventionPatients were randomized with a 1:1 allocation, to one of the following two arms, and stratified based on robotic versus laparoscopic approach.1. QLB: QLB (Bupivacaine) + Sham local trocar sites infiltration (normal saline). 2. Local Infiltration: Sham QLB (normal saline) + local infiltration (Bupivacaine) Measurements and Main ResultsThe primary outcome was defined as the quality of recovery score based on the validated questionnaire (QOR-40), completed 24-hours postoperatively. Secondary outcomes included: dynamic pain scores, accumulated opioid consumption up to 24-hours, post-operative nausea and vomiting, surgical complications, length of hospital stay, time to first pain medication administration in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) and adverse events. 76 women were included in the study. Demographic characteristics were similar in both groups. Median age was 44 (IQR 39-50) years, 47% of the participants were African American and mean BMI was 32.8 (SD 8.1) kg/m2. The mean QOR-40 score was 179.1 (+/- 10.3SD) in the QLB and 175.6 (+/- 9.7SD) for the local anesthesia group (p=0.072). All secondary outcomes were comparable between groups. ConclusionsQLBs do not significantly improve quality of recovery after elective robotic or laparoscopic hysterectomy compared to local anesthetic port site infiltration.

The Evolution of Transvaginal Robot-Assisted Surgery in Gynecology.

Laparoscopy has advanced over the last three decades with residency training programs focusing on trans-abdominal laparoscopic techniques whether conventional or robotic. Despite attempts over many years to adopt vaginal surgery as the preferred method of hysterectomy, traditional vaginal surgery has largely fallen out of favor. Vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (vNOTES) has gained popularity with patients and promises to provide an attractive option, but the surgical skills of many gynecologists have limited its widespread adoption. We explore the use of robot-assisted vNOTES (RA-vNOTES), which offers improved ergonomics, visualization, and wristed instruments for more precise surgery. Robotic vNOTES, was originally performed in Taiwan by Dr. Chyi-Long Lee in 2014.1 Our center has used the robotic vaginal approach for hysterectomy, myomectomy, sacrocolpopexy, adnexal surgery, endometriosis excision, and more. We have also shown feasibility in performing surgery on patients with a completely obliterated posterior cul-de-sac, long been thought to be a contraindication for the transvaginal approach. Enhancements have been made to improve safety and efficiency, such as the use of indocyanine green to visualize the ureters. There are some limitations on instrument maneuverability and reach with the current da Vinci® Xi (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California) platform. However, with over 300 cases logged in our center, these limitations may be overcome with the new da Vinci® SP (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, California). We are eager to share our experience and hope that more gynecologic surgeons will choose this innovative approach for the benefit of our patients.

Outpatient and Ambulatory Extended Recovery Robotic Hepatectomy: Multinational Study of 307 Cases.

For open minor hepatectomy, morbidity and recovery are dominated by the incision. The robotic approach may transform this "incision dominant procedure" into a safe outpatient procedure. We audited outpatient (less than 2 midnights) robotic hepatectomy at 6 hepatobiliary centers in 2 nations to test the hypothesis that the robotic approach can be a safe and effective short-stay procedure. Establishing early recovery after surgery programs were active at all sites, and home digital monitoring was available at 1 of the institutions. A total of 307 outpatient (26 same-day and 281 next-day discharge) robotic hepatectomies were identified (2013 to 2023). Most were minor hepatectomies (194 single segments, 90 bi-segmentectomies, 14 three segments, and 8 four segments). Thirty-nine (13%) were for benign histology, whereas 268 were for cancer (33 hepatocellular carcinoma, 27 biliary, and 208 metastatic disease). Patient characteristics were a median age of 60 years (18 to 93 years), 55% male, and a median BMI of 26 kg/m 2 (14 to 63 kg/m 2 ). Thirty (10%) patients had cirrhosis. One hundred eighty-seven (61%) had previous abdominal operation. Median operative time was 163 minutes (30 to 433 minutes), with a median blood loss of 50 mL (10 to 900 mL). There were no deaths and 6 complications (2%): 2 wound infections, 1 failure to thrive, and 3 perihepatic abscesses. Readmission was required in 5 (1.6%) patients. Of the 268 malignancy cases, 25 (9%) were R1 resections. Of the 128 with superior segment resections (segments 7, 8, 4A, 2, and 1), there were 12 positive margins (9%) and 2 readmissions for abscess. Outpatient robotic hepatectomy in well-selected cases is safe (0 mortality, 2% complication, and 1.6% readmission), including resection in the superior or posterior portions of the liver that is challenging with nonarticulating laparoscopic instruments.

Local resection of small intestine neuroendocrine neoplasms (SI-NEN) : Current principles

Neuroendocrine tumors of the small bowel (small intestine neuroendocrine neoplasms, SI-NEN) are the most frequent tumors of the small intestine and approximately 30-40% are still surgically treatable with curative intent at the time of diagnosis. Certain surgical principles must be followed for optimal oncological outcomes and good postoperative quality of life. Based on international guidelines and own experiences, the locoregional surgical treatment of SI-NENs is presented. Locoregional SI-NENs should always be resected if technically feasible, as only this approach can achieve a long-term cure and even small primary tumors (< 10 mm) often already show lymphatic metastasis. The resectability of SI-NENs and their difficulty depend on the extent of lymphatic metastasis, which should be assessed based on preoperative imaging of the extent around the superior mesenteric artery. Currently, the surgical gold standard for SI-NENs is open surgery with bidigital palpation of the entire small intestine followed by primary tumor resection via small bowel segment resection, right hemicolectomy or ileocecal resection and vessel-sparing, and therefore organ-preserving lymphadenectomy (≥ 8lymph nodes). The guidelines consider that laparoscopic or robotic approaches are justified only for early stages of SI-NENs. Guideline-compliant surgical treatment of locoregional SI-NEN enables recurrence-free long-term survival with good quality of life.

Surgical outcomes of robotic thyroidectomy for thyroid tumors over 4 cm via the bilateral axillo-breast approach

The study investigated the feasibility of robotic bilateral axillo-breast approach (BABA) thyroidectomy for patients with thyroid tumors larger than 4 cm. BABA thyroidectomy has previously shown safety and effectiveness for thyroid surgeries but lacked extensive data on its application to larger tumors. Between October 2008 and August 2022, there were 74 patients underwent robotic BABA thyroidectomy due to thyroid nodules exceeding 4 cm in size. The mean patient age was 40.3 years. Fine needle aspiration results classified the tumors as benign (50.0%), atypia of undetermined significance (27.0%), follicular neoplasm (16.2%), suspicious for malignancy/malignancy (5.4%), or lymphoma (1.4%). The average tumor size was 4.9 cm, with the majority (85.1%) undergoing thyroid lobectomy, and the rest (14.9%) receiving total thyroidectomy. The mean total operation time was 178.4 min for lobectomy and 207.3 min for total thyroidectomy. Transient vocal cord palsy (VCP) was found in 3 patients (4.1%), and there was no permanent VCP. Among patients who underwent total thyroidectomy, transient hypoparathyroidism was observed in three (27.2%), and permanent hypoparathyroidism was observed in one (9.1%). There were no cases of open conversion, tumor spillage, bleeding, flap injury, or tumor recurrence. In conclusion, robotic BABA thyroidectomy may be a safe treatment option for large-sized thyroid tumors that carries no significant increase in complication rates.

An indoor blind area-oriented autonomous robotic path planning approach using deep reinforcement learning

Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) provides a new solution for autonomous robotic path planning in a known indoor environment. Previous studies mainly focused on robot path optimization but ignored blind areas in the indoor exploration, naturally result in low coverage rate and low exploration efficiency. The blind areas exploration is a crucial issue of the indoor environment. This work proposes an indoor blind area-oriented autonomous robotic path planning approach using DRL methods. First, the method optimization is based on a double deep Q-network (DDQN) with prioritized experience replay (PER). Then the Blocking and Blind Angle mechanism (BBA) is proposed to explore blind areas, assisted in selecting the optimal exploration points of next moment. Meanwhile it solves the common sparse reward problem in DRL. Finally, the presented method is successfully applied in simulation environment using a cleaning robot. Experiments show that the proposed BBA-PER-DDQN not only explores the blind areas, but also accelerates the convergence speed. The results show that the training time is reduced from more than one hour to 36 minutes, and the coverage rate is increased by 11.37% higher than that of the baseline algorithms.

ASO Author Reflections: Added Value of the Robotic Approach in Posterior Radical Antegrade Modular Pancreatosplenectomy.

ASO Author Reflections: Added Value of the Robotic Approach in Posterior Radical Antegrade Modular Pancreatosplenectomy.

Minimally-Invasive Robotic-Assisted Resection for Intrathoracic Goiter – A Feasible Alternative to Thoracotomy and Sternotomy

Abstract Background Goiter is a common presentation in daily clinical practice. It usually grows slowly and in rare cases with intrathoracic extension. There is no clear definition of intrathoracic goiters. The incidence in the literature varies from 3% to 7%. Most intrathoracic goiters are localized in the anterior mediastinum, with less than 25% are localized in the posterior mediastinum. This presents a challenge for surgical resection. Traditionally, the intrathoracic portions have been resected via sternotomy for anterior goiters and thoracotomy for posterior goiters. With the increasing use of robotic surgery, new possibilities for minimally invasive surgery and especially robotic procedures have emerged. This may reduce morbidity and length of hospital stay. Aims The study aims to show that minimal-invasive, robotic-assisted resection for intrathoracic goiter is safe and feasible. Methods During the study period from January 2021 to December 2023, 548 thyroid operations were performed in our clinic. All operations were prospectively recorded in the Eurocrine registry and retrospectively analyzed. Goiter was defined as intrathoracic according to perioperative findings (caudal border not visible on sonography and/ or further preoperative investigations ordered). Primary and secondary endpoints were outcome, conversion rate, and incidence of intrathoracic goiter. Results In our clinic, 19/548 patients (3.5%) presented with intrathoracic goiter. 17/19 patients were operated via conventional cervical approach. In 2 patients, minimal-invasive robotic mobilization of the large posterior portion of the goiter was performed in combination with conventional cervical thyroidectomy. No conversion was required. Based on our cases, we present robotic intrathoracic thyroid mobilization as a novel technique to avoid thoracotomy. The rate of recurrent nerve palsy in intrathoracic goiter was 1/28 (3.5%) nerves at risk and occurred with conventional approach. No secondary bleeding or other complications were observed. Conclusion The minimal-invasive robotic approach seems to be a promising alternative to open procedures such as thoracotomy and can reduce morbidity and length of hospital stay.

Short-term outcomes of laparoscopic and robotic limited resections of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours of the uncinate process: Report of six cases and review of the literature.

Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for limited resections for pancreatic uncinate lesions is not widely performed but can adequately treat benign or low-grade malignant lesions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of MIS-limited pancreatic resections for patients with suspected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (PNETs). This was a retrospective study of six consecutive patients who underwent MIS for PNET within a single institution between 2017 and 2022. Six patients underwent limited pancreas-preserving MIS of the uncinate process (uncinectomy or enucleation), of which two were performed through the robotic approach and four through laparoscopic approach. The median operation time was 212.5 (175-338.75) min, and the median blood loss was 50 (50-112.5) ml. The median post-operative hospital length of stay was 5.5 (3.75-11.5) days. Two patients (33.3%) had major post-operative morbidities (Clavien-Dindo ≥Grade 3). There were no open conversions or post-operative mortalities. Five patients had histologically proven Grade 1 neuroendocrine tumours. One was T2 and four were T1. This study suggests that limited MIS resections of pancreatic uncinate PNETs are a feasible procedure with good patient outcomes. It offers a safe alternative to radical surgical resections like pancreatoduodenectomies in selected patients with low-grade malignant or benign tumours.

Surgical outcomes in women diagnosed with deep endometriosis involving urological structures

IntroductionThe prevalence of endometriosis is estimated to be about 10% among women of reproductive age. In about 5–10% of these patients, involvement of urological structures will be developed due to deep endometriosis. Urologists should be familiar with the management of these patients, who will require multidisciplinary care with medical and surgical treatment. Material and MethodsRetrospective study of patients diagnosed with deep endometriosis involving urological structures who underwent surgery performed jointly with gynecology and colorectal surgery departments from June 2012 until June 2021 (60 cases). Urologic symptoms were grouped into 3 groupers for subsequent analysis (storage symptoms, voiding symptoms, and low back pain). ResultsStorage symptoms (frequency and urgency) are the most frequent urologic symptoms. Patients with storage symptoms and low back pain showed improvement after surgery. In contrast, patients with voiding symptoms did not improve with surgical treatment. ConclusionsThe prevalence of endometriosis and the likelihood of involving urologic structures require the urologic community to be aware of the pathology.Patients with storage symptoms will improve following excision of the endometriotic nodules. The need for Partial cystectomies with ureteral reimplantation can be safely performed by laparoscopic or robotic approach, even in previously operated patients, without compromising long-term function.