Chinese surgical robot micro hand S: A consecutive case series in general surgery

A Phase I clinical study of a Chinese surgical robot, Micro Hand S, was completed recently. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the Micro Hand S surgical robot in the clinical application of general surgery.

March 2014 to January 2019, 81 cases of robotic surgery were performed at Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. Clinical characteristics, operative outcomes, and postoperative results were collected and analyzed. Patients were followed up with for one month.

The results of 81 patients were as follows. The range of operation times was 100-495 min. The range of blood loss was 20-1200 ml, and the docking time range was 7-54 min. The range of first flatus times was 1-7 d, the range of fluid diet times was 1-13 d, and the range of hospital stays was 4-30 d. Three patients (3.7%) required conversion to laparoscopic or open-laparotomy surgery. Two patients (2.5%) needed intraoperative blood transfusions, and one patient (1.2%) required a postoperative blood transfusion. Intraoperative complications occurred in two patients (2.5%), which were bladder injury and ureteral injury. Three patients (3.7%) had postoperative complications, including anastomotic leakage, anastomotic hemorrhage, and wound infection. There were no reoperations during hospitalization, and all 81 patients were discharged smoothly. No readmission or death occurred within 30 d after surgery.

The Micro Hand S surgical robot is reliable and safe for the clinical application of general surgery.