[First experience with robotic-assisted colorectal surgery]

Robot-assisted surgery has been available at the National Institute of Oncology since 2022. We report on the most important parameters of the colorectal robot-assisted surgery of the first 191 patients. Robotically assisted rectal surgery was compared with our previous laparoscopic and open surgical activities. Perioperative indicators of rectal cancer patients operated laparoscopically (n=225) and open (n=213) were retrospectively compared with patients operated robotically assisted (n=140). In comparison of the three groups (laparoscopic, open, robot-assisted), robotic surgery shows a significant advantage in quality of mesorectal excision (complete TME rate 77%, 72.7% and 90%, respectively), in the days of care (median 7, 9 and 5 days, respectively), hospital readmissions (8%, 16%, 6.4%), and the rate of sphincter preservation (68%, 60% and 89.5%). As a conclusion, robotic surgery is sufficiently safe from oncological point of view. It has a significant advantage in quality of lymph node dissection, shorter care, fewer hospital readmissions, partially lower morbidity rate and a higher sphincter preservation rate compared to laparoscopic and open surgeries.