Infectious complications and microbiological patterns following Versius assisted robotic surgery: a cohort study from...

Infectious complications following robot-assisted surgery are relatively rare and unexplored, particularly in low and middle-income countries. We aimed to evaluate post-procedure infections and perioperative microbiological pattern among patients undergoing Versius-assisted robotic surgery in Pakistan. We conducted a retrospective cohort study in patients undergoing Versius-assisted robotic surgery at a quaternary care centre in Lahore, Pakistan. Patients were recruited from April 2023 to February 2024. Post-procedure infections were defined as compatible clinical features along with a positive microbiological culture. Pre and post-operative microbiological findings were evaluated using univariable analysis. Among 105 patients, 8 (7.6%) developed confirmed post-procedure infection. Preoperative urine cultures were obtained in 60 patients, of whom 16 (26.7%) had positive results. Postoperative cultures were obtained in 59 patients, of whom 19 (32.2%) had positive results. A positive pre-operative culture was associated with post-operative culture positivity (OR 9.07, 95%CI 1.72 - 47.68, p = 0.009), but was not significantly associated with culture-confirmed postoperative infection (OR 4.85, 95%CI 0.73 - 32.22, p = 0.112). A history of an infected kidney was associated in exploratory univariable analysis with post-procedure infection (OR 10.77, 95%CI 2.29 - 50.54, p = 0.004). Culture-confirmed postoperative infections were documented in 7.6% of patients. A history of an infected kidney was associated with postoperative infection in exploratory unadjusted analysis. These findings require confirmation in larger prospective studies.