Safety and efficacy of the MP1000 surgical system in robot-assisted radical cystectomy: A prospective study

Robot-assisted radical cystectomy (RARC) has become widely adopted due to its numerous advantages, with the da Vinci robotic surgical system being the most commonly used across the globe. However, the high cost limits its broader application.

This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of performing RARC using the more economical MP1000 surgical system.

In this prospective, single-center, single-blind study, 21 patients scheduled for RARC between April and June 2024 were randomly assigned to undergo surgery with either the da Vinci Si system or the MP1000 system. The primary outcome was the rate of conversion to open or laparoscopic surgery. Secondary outcomes included robotic arm installation time, total surgery duration, intraoperative complications, intraoperative blood loss, post-operative positive margin rate, length of post-operative hospital stay, and short-term post-operative complications.

All surgeries were successfully completed without conversion to open or laparoscopic procedures, and no intraoperative complications related to robotic mechanical failure were observed. The robotic arm installation time was slightly longer with the MP1000 system compared to the da Vinci Si system (20.75 vs. 17.13 min, P < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in surgery duration, intraoperative blood loss, post-operative positive margin rate, post-operative hospital stay, or short-term post-operative complications. In addition, there was no significant difference in National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index scores, a measure of the operator workload. The primary limitation of this study was its small sample size.

The study demonstrated that the MP1000 surgical system was a safe, feasible, and effective alternative for RARC, and achieved comparable outcomes to the da Vinci Si system.