Patients' Perceptions After Robot-Assisted Surgery: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Surgical Innovation
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Robotic Surgery

Background:

• Robot-assisted surgery (RAS) represents a significant advancement in surgical techniques.
• Current research on RAS outcomes primarily focuses on clinical metrics like morbidity, mortality, complications, and length of stay.
• There is a notable gap in understanding patients' subjective experiences and satisfaction with RAS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and synthesize existing literature on patient experience and satisfaction following robot-assisted surgery.
• To identify key themes related to patient perceptions of RAS.
• To highlight the need for further research into patient-reported outcomes in robotic surgery.

Main Methods:

• An integrative literature review was conducted.
• A systematic search of nine databases identified 1,263 articles.
• Six eligible articles were critically appraised and synthesized.

Main Results:

• Two primary themes emerged: patient satisfaction with RAS and the impact of information sharing on satisfaction.
• A scarcity of qualitative studies limits in-depth exploration of patient perceptions.
• It remains challenging to isolate the effect of the robotic modality from other factors influencing patient satisfaction, such as clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The current evidence does not reveal clear distinctions in patient experience or satisfaction between robot-assisted surgery and conventional nonrobotic procedures.
• Further qualitative research is essential to fully understand patient perspectives on RAS.
• More investigation is needed to determine the specific drivers of patient satisfaction in the context of robotic surgery.