The short-term outcomes of robotic sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer: comparison with open and...

The aim of this study is to clarify the short-term outcomes of robotic sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer in a retrospective study.

The short-term outcomes of robotic sphincter-preserving surgery (n = 130) were retrospectively compared to open (n = 234) and laparoscopic surgery (n = 318) by a propensity score analysis.

Robotic surgery was performed more frequently for patients with lower rectal cancer (55%) than open (30%, p < 0.0001) or laparoscopic surgery (36%, p < 0.0001). None of the robotic surgery cases were converted to open surgery. After propensity score matching, robotic surgery was found to be associated with a longer operation time (342 vs. 230 min, p < 0.0001) and less blood loss (7 vs. 420 mL, p < 0.0001) than open surgery. The overall complication rate of robotic surgery was lower than that of open surgery (13 vs. 28%, p = 0.032). Robotic surgery was associated with a lower incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs) than laparoscopic surgery (0 vs. 7%, p = 0.028). There were no cases of anastomotic leakage after robotic surgery. The circumferential resection margin was involved in 0.8% of the patients who underwent robotic surgery; the incidence did not differ among the treatment groups.

Although robotic surgery for rectal cancer was associated with a longer operation time, it was associated with a very low incidence of SSIs. The degree of safety was comparable to both open and laparoscopic surgery.