In one of the largest studies of its kind, surgeons successfully completed 39 complex lateral abdominal wall hernia repairs using robotic surgery, without converting any procedure to open surgery.
Most patients returned home after just one day, and no hernias recurred during a median follow-up of approximately 14 months.
The approach may improve on conventional techniques by giving surgeons greater precision and flexibility in a particularly difficult-to-reach area, while enabling smaller incisions, less postoperative pain, and faster recovery.
Surgeons have shown that robotic technology can help repair a rare and difficult type of hernia that develops along the side of the abdomen. These hernias are hard to treat because they form near the ribs, pelvis, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels.
In a new study published in Hernia, researchers examined 39 robotic hernia repairs performed between 2018 and 2025.
All 39 operations were completed robotically, without converting to open or conventional keyhole surgery.
Most patients went home after just one day.
No hernias returned during a median follow-up of approximately 14 months.
Dr Michael Freund of the Hebrew University and Shaare Zedek Medical Centre led the study, with guidance from Professor David Hazzan of Raphael Hospital, in collaboration with Sheba Medical Centre and Tel Aviv University.
Dr Freund said: ‘Robotic technology is changing the boundaries of what surgeons can do through small incisions. In this case, it allowed us to reach one of the most unforgiving parts of the abdominal wall, an area surrounded by bone, muscle, nerves, and blood vessels, and rebuild the abdominal wall with remarkable precision. It transforms how we can approach an operation that has traditionally been exceptionally difficult.’
In another recent study of hernias located away from the centre of the abdomen, some procedures had to be partly converted to open surgery, complications occurred in around one-third of patients, and some hernias returned. In the new Israeli study, the researchers completed every operation robotically, and no hernias returned during the follow-up period.
The researchers note, however, that the studies involved different patients and cannot be directly compared.
Professor Hazzan said: ‘We are entering a new era in which even highly complex operations can be performed with greater precision and far less disruption to the patient. In our study, we completed every procedure robotically; most patients returned home after just one day, and no hernias returned during follow-up. These are early results, but they offer a powerful glimpse of how robotic surgery could reshape complex abdominal reconstruction.’
Most patients recovered without complications and reported little pain after surgery. Two developed bowel obstructions and needed another laparoscopic procedure, but both recovered without having any part of the bowel removed.
The researchers caution that this relatively small retrospective study did not directly compare robotic surgery with other methods. They also need to follow patients for longer to determine whether the repairs remain successful over many years.
Published: 29.10.2026
