Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
14:45
Technical Detail for Robot Assisted Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Published on: September 28, 2019
Robot-assisted laparoscopic pancreatic surgery: single-surgeon experience
Pier Cristoforo Giulianotti1, Fabio Sbrana, Francesco Maria Bianco
1Division of General, Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 South Wood Street, Suite 435E, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. piercg@uic.edu
Surgical Endoscopy
|January 12, 2010
Summary
This study shows robotic surgery is a safe and feasible option for complex pancreatic diseases. It offers minimally invasive advantages with complication and mortality rates comparable to open surgery.
Area of Science:
- Minimally Invasive Surgery
- Surgical Oncology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Robotic surgery adoption is increasing, yet its application in advanced pancreatic surgery remains under-reported and debated.
- Few studies have explored the indications and outcomes of robotic procedures for complex pancreatic conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze a single surgeon's experience with robotic pancreatic surgery.
- To evaluate the indications, outcomes, and feasibility of robotic-assisted pancreatic procedures.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 134 patients undergoing robotic pancreatic surgery between October 2000 and January 2009.
- Procedures performed using the da Vinci robotic system at two institutions.
Main Results:
- 134 patients (83 female, average age 57) underwent robotic pancreatic surgery.
- Mean OR time was 331 minutes, with 14 conversions to open surgery.
- Postoperative morbidity was 26%, and mortality was 2.23% (3 patients). Procedures included 60 pancreaticoduodenectomies and 23 spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomies.
Conclusions:
- This series represents the largest to date for robotic pancreatic surgery, demonstrating feasibility and safety.
- Robotic surgery facilitates complex maneuvers for successful minimally invasive pancreatic surgery.
- Outcomes show complication and mortality rates comparable to open surgery, with added benefits of minimally invasive approaches.
