Solo surgery in laparoscopic colectomy: a case-matched study comparing robotic and human scopist.

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Recent technical developments have enabled solo surgery in laparoscopic surgery. Our experience of solo surgery using the voice-guided robotic arm in laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer was analyzed. METHODOLOGY: The colon-lifting method was used in this study. The laparoscope was handled by AESOP3000. The colon was retracted anteriorly by the thread that passed through the mesocolon. This method enables lymphadenectomy by stretching of feeding vessels and obviates the need for an assistant. The short-term outcomes and survival between robotic arm and human scopist in a series of laparoscopic colectomies were compared with a case-matched control study. RESULTS: The numbers of both group patients were 11 respectively. There was no conversion to open surgery in both groups. The operation time (Robotic vs. Human=269 min. vs. 265) and laparoscopic time (209 vs. 212) were not significant differences. There were also no significant differences in the bleeding, the morbidity rate and the numbers of dissected lymph nodes between the two groups. The five-year overall (81.8% vs. 72.7%) and disease-free (72.7% vs. 62.3%) survivals showed no significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic solo-surgery in colectomy is safe and feasible, without any deterioration of the curative potential of the procedure.