Successful Robotic Gastrectomy Does Not Require Extensive Laparoscopic Experience.

Area of Science:

• Surgical Oncology
• Robotic Surgery
• Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

• Robot-assisted distal gastrectomy (RADG) offers potential benefits in minimally invasive surgery.
• Surgeons experienced in open gastrectomy may face a learning curve transitioning to robotic procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the learning curve and short-term surgical outcomes of RADG performed by a surgeon proficient in open gastrectomy but new to laparoscopic techniques.
• To determine the feasibility of RADG without prior extensive laparoscopic experience.

Main Methods:

• Sixty RADG procedures were performed by a single surgeon using the da Vinci Surgical System.
• Patient data, surgical parameters, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed.
• Cases were divided into early (n=25) and later (n=35) groups based on the learning curve.

Main Results:

• The learning curve for RADG was overcome after approximately 25 cases, indicated by stabilized surgery duration.
• Mean surgery duration decreased significantly from 420.8 minutes (early) to 281.7 minutes (later) (P<0.001).
• Console time also significantly decreased, while blood loss and other postoperative outcomes showed no significant differences between groups.

Conclusions:

• Robot-assisted distal gastrectomy can be safely performed by surgeons experienced in open gastrectomy.
• Acceptable short-term surgical outcomes are achievable after mastering the learning curve.