Segmental Bowel Resection for Rectal Endometriosis Using the da Vinci SP

The da Vinci SP Surgical System (SP) received regulatory approval for use in gynecological surgeries in Japan in 2023. Given the advantages of the precision of a robot, less pain, and the cosmesis of single-port surgery, the da Vinci SP is expected to be further used for minimally invasive surgeries. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the use of SP for the treatment of rectal endometriosis with segmental bowel resection.

An urban general hospital. Stepwise demonstration of the technique with narrated video footage.

The patient was a 46-year-old woman presented with chronic pelvic pain, pain on defecation, and constipation. Magnetic resonance imaging showed uterine large fibroid, left ovarian endometrioma, and 38 mm of rectal endometriosis, with complete cul-de-sac obliteration.

We made a 30-mm vertical incision at the umbilicus, then placed the access port, and inserted three articulating instruments and a camera. An assistant port was placed in the right lower quadrant for using the linear stapler. The surgical steps were completely identical to conventional multiport laparoscopic robotic surgery. This suggests that conventional laparoscopic or robotic skills are highly transferrable to SP. SP offer several advantages, including high-resolution three-dimensional visualization, articulating instruments, and improved dexterity and range of motion. In addition, the umbilical access port was particularly useful for proximal bowel resection, specimen retrieval, and anvil positioning during bowel resection. The total operative time was 216 minutes. The estimated blood loss was 100 ml without any complications. The uterine weight was 800 g. The postoperative course was uneventful, with no perioperative complications, including no postoperative bladder dysfunction or low anterior resection syndrome [1,2].

The use of SP with the access port for segmental bowel resection for rectal endometriosis is technically safe and feasible, with good cosmesis and less pain.