[Robotic surgery in the Netherlands: lack of high-quality proof of efficacy]

More than 10 years after its first introduction, robot-assisted surgery is now performed in 17 Dutch hospitals. Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is the most frequently performed, though its clinical superiority compared to open (RRP) and laparoscopic prostatectomy (LRP) has not been demonstrated. One randomized controlled trial showed better outcome in erectile function after RARP compared to LRP. The quality of the other studies into RARP is too limited to draw reliable conclusions on clinically relevant outcome measures such as survival, disease-free survival and quality of life. Given the high costs and small scientific evidence, the introduction of robotic surgery has been irresponsibly quick. Better scientific research of robotic surgery is needed before this technology can be broadly applied in clinical practice.