Robotic breast-conserving surgery: a retrospective study of feasibility and patient-reported aesthetic outcomes in 88...

Robotic-assisted surgical platforms are now routinely utilized in numerous surgical specialties. In breast surgery, robotic-assisted procedures are being actively explored and applied. However, there are currently few published studies specifically addressing robotic breast-conserving surgery (R-BCS). The surgical and oncologic outcomes, patient-reported aesthetic results and learning curve, of R-BCS for breast cancer were evaluated in this study. This study retrospectively analyzed data from all patients who received R-BCS at a single medical center during the period from March 2024 to December 2025. The preliminary results were reported. A total of 88 individuals participated in this study and underwent robotic-assisted R-BCS. The mean age of patients was 53.6 years. Notably, all surgical interventions were successfully performed robotically, with no cases requiring intraoperative conversion to alternative approaches. The mean operative duration was 124.40 ± 36.79 min. Learning curve analysis demonstrated a marked decrease in operative time after the first 12 consecutive cases. The overall complication rate was 10.2%. The positive surgical margin rate was 1.1%. In the Breast Q score results, patients with tumors smaller than 2 cm or tumors located in the upper quadrant had higher postoperative satisfaction with breasts and sexual well-being. Compared with preoperative scores, patients had higher postoperative psychosocial well-being, but their physical well-being: chest scores were lower than preoperative levels. The follow-up duration was 14.43 ± 4.65 months. At the time of the most recent follow-up, none of the patients developed local recurrence, distant metastasis, or died from any cause. This study confirmed the short-term safety and feasibility of R-BCS. Preliminary findings suggest that this surgical approach demonstrated the potential to achieve a low incidence of complications, a low positive margin rate and favorable aesthetic outcomes.