A comparative review between laparoscopic and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomies

In pancreatic surgery, there is an increasing interest in the feasibility of minimal access techniques. Robotic surgery has improved some limitations of standard laparoscopy and it is expected as a promising access. We provide a comparative review between laparoscopic and robotic pancreaticoduodenectomies. Between 1996 and 2013, we found 284 patients in the laparoscopic group and 147 in the robotic. Operative time, morbidity, and mortality were similar for both the groups (425.94 min, 30.28%, 2.19% in the laparoscopic group and 415.88 min, 36.78%, and 2.72% for the robotic arm, respectively). The mean hospital stay, mean estimated blood loss, fistula, and conversion rates were 11.09 days, 172,93 mL, 13.02%, and 5.63% and 13.84 days, 346.44 mL, 27.69%, and 11.56% for the laparoscopic and robotic group, respectively (P<0.05). Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy may confer benefits over robotic pancreaticoduodenectomies, although it is expected that outcomes of both modalities are likely to improve with greater experience and better patient selection.