Robotic gastric bypass in a primary care hospital: initial experience and outcomes from 60 consecutive Italian adults

Obesity remains a major public health challenge in Italy, and robotic-assisted metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is gaining increasing attention for its potential advantages in precision and recovery. However, data on short-term outcomes from Italian centres are still limited. This study aimed to evaluate six-month postoperative outcomes of robotic gastric bypass in Italian adults, focusing on weight and BMI reduction, and exploring subgroup differences by gender and comorbidity status. This retrospective observational study was conducted at a primary care hospital in Italy and included 60 consecutive adult patients who underwent robotic gastric bypass with complete six-month follow-up. Demographic data, surgical details, and anthropometric measures (weight and BMI) were collected at baseline, two months, and six months postoperatively. Subgroup analyses were performed according to gender and comorbidity status. Repeated-measures ANOVA and appropriate comparative analyses were used to assess statistical significance. The cohort was predominantly female (68.33%), with a mean age of 48.2 ± 10.3 years. The mean baseline weight and BMI were 128.4 ± 29.7 kg and 45.9 ± 9.2 kg/m², respectively. At six months, patients achieved a mean weight loss of 40.6 kg (31.6% total weight loss [%TWL]) and a BMI reduction of 14.3 kg/m² (P < 0.00001 for all comparisons across time points). No major complications were reported, with a minor complication rate of 5.0%. Male patients exhibited slightly higher mean reductions in weight and BMI and longer operative times, but these differences were not statistically significant. Patients with comorbidities generally experienced greater improvements in anthropometric outcomes compared to those without. Robotic gastric bypass in a primary care hospital setting is associated with substantial short-term reductions in weight and BMI, with particularly pronounced benefits in patients with comorbid conditions. These findings support the feasibility and efficacy of robotic metabolic bariatric surgery in the Italian healthcare context, though longer follow-up is needed to assess durability of outcomes.