Robot-assisted oesophageal and gastric resection at Oslo University Hospital

The use of robot-assisted surgery in Norway has increased over the past decade. We report selected quality indicators for robot-assisted oesophageal and gastric resection for cancer or premalignant lesions.

A retrospective review of selected quality indicators following oesophageal and gastric resection for cancer or premalignant lesions at Oslo University Hospital between 2018 and 2024. We recorded the proportion of patients with anastomotic leakage and 90-day mortality, and assessed whether these rates were within the target levels defined by the Norwegian Registry for Gastrointestinal Surgery (NORGAST). For gastric resections, the 30-day reoperation rate was also recorded.

A total of 104 patients with oesophageal cancer and 96 patients with gastric cancer or premalignant lesions were included in the study. Anastomotic leakage following surgery for oesophageal and gastric cancer occurred in 17 % and 5 % of cases, respectively. Corresponding 90-day mortality rates were 3 % and 2 %. The reoperation rate after gastric resection was 11 %. All values were within the national target levels set by NORGAST.

Target levels for the selected quality indicators were met following the introduction of robot-assisted oesophageal and gastric resection. Use of this technique appears to be safe at our centre, which has prior experience with minimally invasive surgery for oesophageal and gastric cancer.