A Prospective Trial on Operability and Safety of a Simplified Robot-Assisted System (FASTER) for Colorectal...

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Surgical Technology
• Endoscopy

Background:

• Effective intraoperative mucosal traction is a challenge in endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD).
• Existing countertraction technologies require further optimization.
• Managing colorectal neoplasia with ESD necessitates improved techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of a novel robotic assistance system (FASTER) against conventional ESD techniques.
• To evaluate the FASTER system's impact on managing colorectal neoplasia.
• To assess intraoperative mucosal traction during ESD procedures.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 24 ESD procedures in pigs (rectum and sigmoid colon).
• Comparison between the FASTER-assisted ESD group (12 procedures) and the conventional ESD group (12 procedures).
• Key outcomes included procedure time, dissection time, dissection speed, and direct visual dissection rate.

Main Results:

• FASTER-assisted ESD significantly reduced total procedure time (11.5 vs. 18.0 min) and dissection time (4.9 vs. 10.7 min).
• Submucosal dissection speed increased (0.7 vs. 0.4 cm²/min) and direct vision dissection rate improved (99.0% vs. 83.2%) with FASTER.
• Operation difficulty score was significantly lower in the FASTER-assisted group (1.0 vs. 3.0).

Conclusions:

• The FASTER system provides continuous visual feedback and dynamic tissue manipulation during ESD.
• FASTER-assisted ESD significantly shortened operation time and reduced adverse events in preclinical colorectal investigations.
• This robotic system offers an innovative solution for optimizing endoscopic submucosal dissection in colorectal treatment.