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Updated: Jan 17, 2026
Robotics in Surgery: A Modular Robotic Platform Driven Gastric Wedge Resection
Published on: February 7, 2025
A novel robotic arm-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection platform with augmented traction for gastric neoplasms:
Han Jo Jeon1, Bora Keum1, Bomee Lee1
1Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Background And Aims:
Robotic arm-assisted endoscopic submucosal dissection (R-ESD) facilitates visualization of the submucosal dissection plane and aids complete tumor resection. However, the practicality of a robotic arm for gastric neoplasms remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical performance of minimally invasive gastric R-ESD.
Methods:
A total of 15 consecutive patients who underwent R-ESD between June 2024 and September 2024 at the Korea University Medical Center were prospectively enrolled and analyzed. The primary outcome was en bloc resection.
Results:
All patients underwent both en bloc and R0 resections (100%). The majority of tumors (73.3%) were located in the lower third of the stomach (34.7 ± 5.8 mm) and were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma (53.3%) or low-grade adenoma (47.7%). The mean total procedure time (TPT) was 28.8 minutes and the median robot-assisted dissection time (RDT) was 14.3 minutes, achieving a dissection speed of 48.2 mm2/min. Specimen injury occurred in 4 cases (26.7%). The robotic arm conducted a median of 3.9 grasps per procedure, with an RDT/TPT ratio of 53.8%. A comparison between lower and middle/upper lesions revealed an increased pattern of RDT, grasps, and RDT/TPT ratio. The total NASA-TLX score was strongly correlated with the number of grasps, RDT/TPT ratio, and TPT.
Conclusions:
R-ESD proved feasible and safe in gastric endoscopic submucosal dissection through high en bloc resection rates and dissection speed. R-ESD holds promise for improving procedural safety and performance through augmented traction.
