[Robot-assisted Thoracic Surgery for Mediastinal Tumor].

Area of Science:

• Thoracic Surgery
• Surgical Robotics
• Minimally Invasive Procedures

Context:

• Robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) adoption in Japan has lagged since its 2001 introduction.
• Insurance coverage for RATS in 2018 for mediastinal tumors and lung cancer lobectomy has spurred its growth.
• This study evaluates RATS for mediastinal tumors at a single institution.

Purpose:

• To assess the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) for treating mediastinal tumors.
• To analyze surgical outcomes, including operative time and blood loss, for RATS in mediastinal tumor resection.
• To compare unilateral and bilateral RATS approaches for extended thymectomy.

Summary:

• Forty-six patients with mediastinal tumors underwent RATS between 2014 and 2022.
• Median operative time was 88 minutes (unilateral: 79 min, bilateral: 208 min).
• Minimal blood loss was observed, with only one case (2.2%) of postoperative bleeding and no conversions to VATS or thoracotomy.

Impact:

• RATS has been successfully implemented and expanded safely for mediastinal tumors.
• The findings support the continued adoption and potential expansion of RATS indications.
• Further comparative studies with video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) are recommended for future validation.