Akinobu Furutani
Papers
4
Total Citations
176
H-Index
4
About
Dr. Akinobu Furutani is a leading colorectal surgeon whose research focuses on advancing minimally invasive surgical techniques for rectal cancer, particularly through robotic-assisted approaches. His work has significantly shaped the understanding of how robotic surgery can match or improve upon traditional open procedures for complex cases. Dr. Furutani’s most influential study, with 84 citations, demonstrated that robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection achieves comparable oncological outcomes to open surgery for locally advanced low rectal cancer, a critical finding that supports the adoption of robotic techniques. He also pioneered the use of mesorectal fat area as a predictive tool for surgical difficulty in robotic total mesorectal excision (58 citations), helping surgeons better plan complex procedures. Additionally, his work on robotic-assisted multivisceral resection (29 citations) has shown promising short-term outcomes for advanced disease. Notably, Dr. Furutani has also addressed a fundamental question in colorectal surgery—the importance of lymph node palpation—finding that tactile feedback may be less critical than previously thought, which has implications for the growing field of minimally invasive surgery. His research continues to drive innovation in robotic colorectal oncology.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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