Initial Experience With a New Robotic Surgical System for Cholecystectomy

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Robotics
• Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

• Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is the standard for symptomatic gallstones.
• Robotic surgery is advancing, with the Senhance system offering unique features like haptic feedback.
• The Senhance system's utility in cholecystectomy requires evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility, benefits, and drawbacks of the Senhance robotic system for cholecystectomy.
• To compare operative times and clinical outcomes between Senhance-assisted and traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Main Methods:

• A prospective review of the first 20 Senhance-assisted cholecystectomies.
• Data collected included operative time, console time, setup time, and adverse events.
• A control group of 20 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy by the same surgeon was used for comparison.

Main Results:

• Ninety-five percent of Senhance procedures were completed robotically.
• Median operative time for Senhance was 86.5 minutes versus 31.5 minutes for laparoscopy.
• One postoperative complication (wound infection) occurred in the Senhance group.

Conclusions:

• Senhance-assisted cholecystectomy is safe, feasible, and effective.
• Current operative times are longer compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
• Further randomized trials are necessary to establish benefits over other minimally invasive techniques.