Post-operative pain in robotic vs. laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a quasi-experimental study at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

This quasi-experimental prospective study comparing the postoperative pain scores in patients undergoing Robotic Cholecystectomy versus those undergoing Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy was done after getting the IRB approval at Department of General Study, National Hospital and Medical Centre, Lahore, Pakistan for a period of six months, from 02-02-2025 to 01-08-2025.

Eighty eight patients undergoing elective cholecystectomy were included in the study. Each group had 44 patients and randomization was not possible since this is a private setup and the procedural costs were borne by the patients themselves. Patient characteristics and comorbid conditions were noted and pain scores recorded for each group at 6, 12 and 24 h postoperatively.

Patient characteristics, comorbid conditions and postoperative analgesia were similar in both groups. The Robotic Cholecystectomy (RC) group showed much less postoperative visual analogue scores (VAS) than the Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC) group (1.43 ± 0.42 vs. 2.78 ± 0.56, p < 0.005). Median operative time was less in RC group than LC group (65 (15) minutes vs. 75 (10) minutes, p = 0.010), although the total procedure time was longer in the RC group. Hospital stay was similar in both groups.

Robotic Cholecystectomy (RC) is associated with a significantly reduced postoperative pain as compared to Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC).