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Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Splenectomy In Children: A Case Report with Literature Review
Published on: March 27, 2026
Pediatric robotic surgery: early assessment
Goedele van Haasteren1, Susan Levine, Winifred Hayes
1Hayes Inc, Independent Health Technology Assessment Company, Lansdale, Pennsylvania 19446, USA. gvhaasteren@hayesinc.com
Insights
Robotically assisted surgery is feasible and safe for many pediatric procedures. However, current evidence does not show it offers better outcomes than traditional open or laparoscopic surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric surgery
- Minimally invasive surgery
- Robotic surgery
Background:
- Robotically assisted surgery (RAS) is increasingly used in various surgical fields.
- Its application in pediatric surgery requires careful evaluation of safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on the feasibility, safety, benefits, limitations, and costs of RAS in children.
- To compare RAS with conventional pediatric surgical techniques.
- To provide insights into the future of RAS in pediatric surgery.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search of the peer-reviewed pediatric medical literature was conducted.
- Studies evaluating the feasibility and safety of RAS in children were included.
- Studies comparing RAS with conventional laparoscopic or open surgery were also included.
Main Results:
- Eight case series and five comparative studies met the inclusion criteria.
- RAS was found to be feasible and safe for several routine pediatric procedures when performed by experienced surgeons.
- No superior outcomes were demonstrated compared to traditional laparoscopic or open surgery.
- RAS showed advantages in complex procedures requiring access to difficult areas or delicate dissection.
Conclusions:
- Robotically assisted surgery is a viable and safe option for select pediatric surgical procedures.
- Current evidence does not support claims of superior clinical outcomes compared to conventional open or laparoscopic surgery.
Objectives:
This article reviews the evidence regarding the feasibility, safety, benefits, limitations, and costs of robotically assisted surgery in children, evaluates how the technology compares with other pediatric surgical techniques, and provides insights about the near and more-distant future of the technology.
Methods:
The peer-reviewed medical pediatric literature was searched for studies that provided evidence of the feasibility and safety of robotic surgery in children and for studies that compared pediatric robotic surgery with conventional laparoscopic surgery or open surgery.
Results:
A total of 8 case series and 5 studies comparing robotic surgery with open or conventional laparoscopic surgery met the selection criteria for review. A few small studies that focused on rare complex surgical procedures also were reviewed. All studies were designed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of robotic surgery in children. None of the studies was randomized, and some studies had a retrospective design. These studies demonstrated that a number of routine, robotically assisted, laparoscopic and thoracic procedures were feasible and safe when performed by surgeons experienced in the technique, although robotic surgery did not provide superior outcomes, compared with traditional laparoscopic and open surgery. The advantages of the robotic system were best seen in complex procedures that involved areas that were difficult to access and in procedures in which dissection of delicate, anatomic structures was required.
Conclusions:
Robotic surgery is feasible and safe for a number of pediatric surgical procedures, but evidence that it offers better clinical outcomes than conventional open or laparoscopic techniques is lacking.
