Robotic surgery significantly enhances outcomes for patients undergoing colectomies due to colon cancer compared to laparoscopic techniques.
This is according to a new study from a UT Southwestern Medical Centre team.
The findings, published in the World Journal of Surgical Oncology, showed reduced complications and shorter hospital stays for most patients.
The research, led by Patricio M Polanco, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery in the Division of Surgical Oncology at UT Southwestern, emphasises the benefits of robotic surgery over laparoscopic procedures.
Patients who underwent robotic surgery experienced shorter hospital stays, lower complication rates and a more precise determination of cancer stage due to increased lymph node harvests.
Dr Polanco noted: ‘Colorectal cancer affects over 150,000 Americans annually, making it crucial to optimise treatment approaches.’
The study reinforces the growing preference for robotic surgery in colectomies due to multiple advantages for surgeons, including improved visualisation, enhanced dexterity and reduced fatigue.
While laparoscopic and robotic surgeries are minimally invasive, the study underscores some key differences.
Laparoscopy involves manual tool manipulation and a 2D camera. At the same time, robotic surgery offers a more advanced approach. A control console enables precise manoeuvring of robotic arms equipped with surgical tools, providing better 3D visualisation and eliminating surgeon hand tremors.
The retrospective cohort study analysed data from the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Programme database (2015-2020) and included 53,209 colectomy cases across the US.
The research identified right and left colectomies and low anterior resections, defining successful outcomes as the absence of complications within 30 days, readmission, mortality and a postoperative stay of fewer than five days.
The study revealed that robotic procedures for right and left colectomies achieved higher textbook outcomes than laparoscopic methods.
However, laparoscopy showed slightly better results in low anterior resections, with robotic surgery exhibiting marginally higher rates of specific complications and readmissions.
Dr Polanco highlighted the importance of understanding the nuances of both surgical approaches to aid informed decision-making for patients and their surgical teams.
This study complements previous research at UT Southwestern on the benefits of robotic surgery in treating pancreas and liver cancer, supported by the Eugene P Frenkel, MD, Scholar Award from Simmons Cancer Centre.
Photo - Dr Patricio M Polanco
