Robotic versus laparoscopic rectal resection: is there any real difference? A comparative single center study

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Colorectal Surgery

Background:

• Robotic surgery is increasingly adopted globally, recognized for its safety and feasibility.
• Comparative studies are essential to evaluate outcomes between robotic and laparoscopic techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the primary outcomes of laparoscopic versus robotic-assisted rectal resection for rectal cancer.
• To assess conversion rates and operative times in both surgical approaches.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 143 consecutive patients with rectal cancer.
• Patients underwent either laparoscopic or robotic-assisted rectal resection between October 2010 and July 2013.

Main Results:

• The robotic group had a significantly lower conversion rate for low rectal cancer (1.8%) compared to the laparoscopic group (9.2%).
• Mean operative time was longer in the robotic group (309 minutes) than in the laparoscopic group (252 minutes).

Conclusions:

• Robotic rectal resection offers a reduced conversion rate in low rectal cancer cases.
• The robotic approach is associated with a longer operative time than the laparoscopic technique.