Review and update: robotic transanal surgery (RTAS)

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Robotics
• Transanal Surgery

Background:

• Single-site access (SSA) surgery, including transanal procedures, has evolved with endoscopic platforms.
• Existing endoscopic SSA platforms present limitations in access, visualization, dexterity, camera control, and instrumentation.
• Advancements in surgical robotics offer potential solutions to these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current and emerging robotic surgery platforms for SSA transanal procedures.
• To identify features, uses, and limitations of these new robotic technologies.
• To assess the potential impact of robotic advancements on transanal surgery.

Main Methods:

• Conducted comprehensive reviews of internet, open access, medical, and industry conference literature.
• Searched PubMed, Medline, Journals @OVID, and open access databases.
• Identified and reviewed 35 relevant articles on robotic surgery for transanal SSA procedures.

Main Results:

• Several new and existing robotic platforms suitable for SSA transanal surgery were identified.
• These platforms offer enhanced features compared to previous endoscopic technologies.
• Robotic systems show potential for abdominal and transoral surgery applications as well.

Conclusions:

• New robotic technologies significantly enhance surgeons' capabilities in performing SSA surgery.
• This next generation of robotic surgery is poised to advance robotic transanal surgery.
• Further outcome and performance data are required to fully validate these advancements.