The Death of Laparoscopy - Volume 2: A Revised Prognosis. A retrospective study

To assess trends in surgical approaches (robotic, laparoscopic, and open) for various procedures, including prostatectomy, nephrectomy, cystectomy, colectomy, proctectomy, pancreatectomy, hepatectomy, and esophagectomy, and predict the future of these surgical approaches.

The rapid adoption of robotic surgery has raised critical questions about the future of traditional laparoscopic techniques. Understanding the trends and potential dominance of robotic surgery is essential for surgical training, healthcare infrastructure, and resource allocation.

This retrospective observational study utilized data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) from 2012 to 2023. Vector Autoregressive modeling analyzed trends and predicted future patterns for robotic, laparoscopic, or open surgical approaches across the specified procedures. The study included all reported cases in the database where the surgical approach was specified.

The analysis revealed a continued shift towards robotic surgery, particularly dominant in urologic procedures and rapidly adopted for complex operations like hepatectomy and esophagectomy. Laparoscopy's use is declining across most specialties, though it remains significant in colectomy. Open surgery persists at high rates, especially in pancreatic and rectal operations. Projections suggest robotic surgery will surpass laparoscopy in colectomy (44.5%) and proctectomy (38.3%) by 2026.

The transition toward robotic surgery continues across specialties at varying rates. These findings have significant implications for surgical training, healthcare infrastructure, and resource allocation. The high rates of open surgery in certain procedures highlight opportunities for broader adoption of minimally invasive techniques.