Feasibility of robotic surgery in elderly patients with rectal cancer: a meta-analysis

Rectal cancer's prevalence increases with an aging population, disproportionately affecting the elderly. The suitability of surgical interventions for this demographic is contentious due to underrepresentation during surgery. This study examines the practicality of utilizing Da Vinci surgery for rectal cancer patients who are 70 years and older. Information was gathered from PubMed, Embase, Scopus and the Cochrane Library, with a focus on English-language publications. Statistical analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4, presenting outcomes for categorical variables in risk ratios. Out of 890 patients across 5 studies, 240 were categorized as elderly, while 650 fell into the younger age group. Notable distinctions were noted in harvested lymph nodes, BMI, and postoperative outcomes, whereas factors like the length of hospital stay, Clavien-Dindo classification, and radial resection margin did not display significance. Although age increases postoperative risk, evidence emphasizes frailty, not age alone, as the primary determining factor.