Robotic Surgical Management of Complicated Diverticulitis

Complicated diverticulitis is a common gastrointestinal pathology. Historically, surgical management involved multi-stage open resection and stoma creation, which were often associated with more significant morbidity, low stoma reversal rates, and postoperative complications.

Minimally invasive techniques, including laparoscopy and robotics, have emerged as alternative options for surgically managing complicated diverticulitis. While high conversion rates may deter surgeons from minimally invasive approaches, robotics offer several technical advantages, including three-dimensional visualization, increased instrument range of motion, reduced conversion rates compared to laparoscopy, and improved postoperative patient outcomes.

In this review, we discuss robotic surgery as a safe and feasible approach to the surgical management of complicated diverticulitis both electively and emergently in select patients. We present recommendations for intraoperative robotics setup and patient positioning and propose solutions that address the limitations of robotics, such as longer operative times and specialized training, that affect the adoption of robotics for surgically managing complicated diverticulitis.