Fatima Kayali
Introduction
In the last two decades, robotic technology has fundamentally transformed the field of colorectal surgery by providing surgeons with unprecedented levels of precision and control. Nevertheless, robotic surgery presents certain challenges such as prolonged operating times, high costs, limited accessibility, and the necessity for specialized training.
Methods
This comparative review analyzes the impact of robotic platforms on colorectal surgery and its outcomes, with the expanding market of this technology. The major databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholars were searched using the key term 'robotic assisted surgery,' 'robotic platforms,' and 'colorectal surgery' to identify relevant articles as of August 2024. The most utilized robotic platforms currently available on the market - Da Vinci, Versius, Senhance, and Revo-I - are compared through their peri- and post-operative outcomes, including operative duration, blood loss, hospitalization period, oncological outcomes, and cost.
Results
Da Vinci is the most globally utilized robotic platform to date. It has shown promising clinical outcomes, including hospitalization length, number of lymph nodes harvested intraoperatively and positive circumferential resection margins. Versius has also shown promising results with 20,000 cases since its first introduction 5 years ago. It reflected similarly low length of stay and conversion rates. Lymph node resection was positively reported, with multiple studies reporting 0% positive circumferential resection margin.
Conclusion
Robotic surgery significantly improves patient outcomes, including shorter postoperative recovery times and effective cancer resection margins. However, challenges faced with these platforms include longer intraoperative times, arm clashing, the need for bedside assistance, and cost.
Authors
Mariam Hussain, Hull York Medical School, York, United Kingdom
Mona Jaffar-Karballai, Department of Medicine, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom
Fatima Kayali, Mersey and West Lancashire NHS Trust, Prescot, United Kingdom
Matti Jubouri, Hull York Medical School, York, United Kingdom
Abedalaziz Omar Surkhi, Faculty of Medicine, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem, Palestine
Mohamad Bashir, Neurovascular Research Laboratory, Faculty of Life Sciences and Education, University of South Wales, Pontypridd, United Kingdom
Ali Murtada, Department of General Surgery, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Rhyl, United Kingdom