Robotic-assisted laparoscopic colorectal surgery

Robotic assistance provides a number of potential benefits for laparoscopic surgery by addressing several inherent limitations. However, its utility in colorectal surgery has not been determined. This is a report of our initial experience with robot-assisted colon resections. We prospectively followed 10 patients who underwent robotic-assisted laparoscopic colorectal surgery using Zeus Microwrist System. Surgical outcomes were compared with those of 10 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery in the same institution for similar indications prior to the start of robotic-assisted surgery. Six patients in each group had surgery for colorectal malignancy. All 10 robotic-assisted procedures were completed with no intraoperative complications, conversions, or mortality. The average blood loss was less than 150 mL in all cases. Morbidity and hospital stay were comparable to those for the patients undergoing standard laparoscopic procedures. Robotic surgery was associated with a significant increase in operative time of almost 1 hour. This time was reduced significantly after the first 4 cases. The value of robotic assistance in colorectal surgery needs to be further evaluated in a larger comparative study.