ObjectiveTo explore the application of 5G remote robotic surgery in distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer and evaluate the feasibility and advantages of the “3+2” model “seven-step method”. MethodsThe situations at preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative follow-up of a patient who underwent 5G remote robotic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer with “3+2” model “seven-step method” in Gansu Provincial People’s Hospital were summarized, and based on our experience of robotic surgery, the application advantages of “3+2” model “seven-step method” in 5G remote robotic distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer was explored. ResultsThe operative time of this case was 190 min, the intraoperative blood loss was 50 mL, the network delay was 43.554 ms, and no intraoperative adverse events occurred. After a one-year follow-up, the patient recovered well, with no complications, good diet and good quality of life. ConclusionsThe “3+2” model “seven-step method” is feasible for 5G remote robotic distal gastrectomy. Further research requires an increased sample size and extended follow-up period.
Objective To investigate the clinical effect of the DaVinci robot system and laparoscopic radical gastrectomy. Methods Propensity score matching and retrospective cohort study were adopted. Data of 446 patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic radical gastrectomy in the Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Xijing Hospital, the First Affiliated Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2014 to April 2021 were collected. Among them, 174 cases underwent robotic and 272 cases underwent laparoscopic surgery. Using the method of propensity score matching, 133 cases were selected from robotic operation group and laparoscopic operation group respectively as the research object. The perioperative indexes of the two groups were compared. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to draw the survival curve and calculate the survival rate. Cox regression model was used to analyze the risk factor of prognosis. Results There was no significant difference in baseline data between the robotic surgery group and the laparoscopic surgery group after propensity score matching (P>0.05). The operative time of the two groups [(236.47±50.32) min vs. (230.64±44.51) min, t=1.000, P=0.318], the number of lymph nodes dissected [(23.32±6.58) vs. (23.95±6.03), t=–0.826, P=0.410], the time of first anal exhaust [(3.46±0.77) days vs. (3.38±0.75) days, t=0.882, P=0.378], and the length of postoperative hospital stay [(6.98±2.84) days vs. (6.94±3.61) days, t=0.094, P=0.925] were similar, the differences were not statistically significant. Compared with the laparoscopic surgery group, the robotic surgery group had less intraoperative bleeding [(83.76±58.23) mL vs. (116.54±58.58) mL, t=–4.577, P<0.001], but the total hospitalization expenses was higher [(10.04±1.92) ten-thousand Yuan vs. (6.80±1.27) ten-thousand Yuan, t=16.211, P<0.001]. The incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups (χ2=0.057, P=0.812) and Clavien-Dindo classification of complications (Z=–0.440, P=0.965) were similar between the two groups, the differences were not statistically significant. The 3-year survival situation was similar between the two groups (P=0.356). Body mass index [RR=0.803, 95%CI (0.698, 0.924), P=0.002], TNM-staging [Ⅱ -stage vs.Ⅰ -stage, RR=4.152, 95%CI (1.121, 15.385), P=0.033; Ⅲ -stage vs.Ⅰ -stage, RR=5.476, 95%CI (1.458, 20.558), P=0.012] and postoperative complications [with vs. without, RR=3.262, 95%CI (1.283, 8.293), P=0.013] were prognostic factors for 3-year survival. Conclusion Compared with laparoscopic radical gastrectomy, robotic radical gastrectomy has the same short-term and long-term prognosis.
Thymectomy is an important treatment for thymoma and myasthenia gravis. The application of minimally invasive surgery to complete thymectomy and rapid recovery of patients after surgery is a developmental goal in thoracic surgery technology. Surgical robots have many technical advantages and are applied for many years in mediastinal tumor resections, a process that has led to its recognition. We published this consensus with the aim of examining how to ensure surgical safety based on the premise that better use of surgical robots achieving rapid recovery after surgery. We invited multiple experts in thoracic surgery to discuss the safety and technical issues of thymectomy under nonintubated anesthesia, and the consensus was made after several explorations and modifications.
Objective To investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of robot-assisted posterior minimally invasive access in treatment of thoracolumbar tuberculosis via transforaminal expansion approach. Methods A clinical data of 40 patients with thoracolumbar tuberculosis admitted between January 2017 and May 2022 and met the selection criteria was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 15 cases were treated with robot-assisted and minimally invasive access via transforaminal expansion approach for lesion removal, bone graft, and internal fixation (robotic group), and 25 cases were treated with traditional transforaminal posterior approach for lesion removal and intervertebral bone grafting (traditional group). There was no significant difference in the baseline data between the two groups (P>0.05) in terms of gender, age, lesion segment, and preoperative American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) grading, Cobb angle, visual analogue scale (VAS) score, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C reactive protein (CRP). The outcome indicators were recorded and compared between the two groups, including operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, hospital stay, postoperative bedtime, complications, ESR and CRP before operation and at 1 week after operation, the level of serum albumin at 3 days after operation, VAS score and ASIA grading of neurological function before operation and at 6 months after operation, the implant fusion, fusion time, Cobb angle of the lesion, and the loss of Cobb angle observed by X-ray films and CT. The differences of ESR, CRP, and VAS score (change values) between pre- and post-operation were calculated and compared. Results Compared with the traditional group, the operation time and intraoperative bleeding volume in the robotic group were significantly lower and the serum albumin level at 3 days after operation was significantly higher (P<0.05); the postoperative bedtime and the length of hospital stay were also shorter, but the difference was not significant (P>0.05). There were 2 cases of poor incision healing in the traditional group, but no complication occurred in the robotic group, and the difference in the incidence of complication between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). There were significant differences in the change values of ESR and CRP between the two groups (P<0.05). All Patients were followed up, and the follow-up time was 12-18 months (mean, 13.0 months) in the traditional group and 12-16 months (mean, 13.0 months) in the robotic group. Imaging review showed that all bone grafts fused, and the difference in fusion time between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). The difference in Cobb angle between the pre- and post-operation in the two groups was significant (P<0.05); and the Cobb angle loss was significant more in the traditional group than in the robotic group (P<0.05). The VAS scores of the two groups significantly decreased at 6 months after operation when compared with those before operation (P<0.05); the difference in the change values of VAS scores between the two groups was not significant (P>0.05). There was no occurrence or aggravation of spinal cord neurological impairment in the two groups after operation. There was a significant difference in ASIA grading between the two groups at 6 months after operation compared to that before operation (P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Compared with traditional posterior open operation, the use of robot-assisted minimally invasive access via transforaminal approach for lesion removal and bone grafting internal fixation in the treatment of thoracolumbar tuberculosis can reduce the operation time and intraoperative bleeding, minimizes surgical trauma, and obtain definite effectiveness.
ObjectiveTo summarize the application status and related progress of robot-assisted technology in general surgery.MethodThe related researches about robot-assisted technology in general surgery in recent year were searched and reviewed.ResultsRobot-assisted techniques had similar safety and effectiveness to endoscopic surgery in general surgery. In addition, in rectal cancer, thyroid and pancreatic surgery, due to the narrow operation space, the advantages of robot-assisted surgery was more obvious.ConclusionsThe application of robot-assisted techniques in general surgery is safe and effective. With the decrease of the cost of robotic surgery, which has wide application value in general surgery.
Robotic gastric cancer surgery had developed rapidly in recent years, and its clinical application had come a long way. More and more studies had demonstrated that the robotic gastric cancer surgery was a safe and feasible procedure, and showed the technical advantages in the lymph node dissection, bleeding control, precise surgery, and postoperative recovery over laparoscopic surgery. However, some limitations such as the high surgical costs, lack of high-quality evidence, insufficient intelligence limited the development of robotic gastric cancer surgery. In the future, with more high-quality evidence-based medicine research and the development of intelligent surgical robots, the robotic gastric cancer surgery will be further standardized and promoted. We believe that robotic gastric cancer surgery will become the mainstream of minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of gastric cancer.
The technical combination of artificial intelligence (AI) and thoracic surgery is increasingly close, especially in the field of image recognition and pathology diagnosis. Additionally, robotic surgery, as a representative of high-end technology in minimally invasive surgery is flourishing. What progress has been or will be made in robotic surgery in the era of AI? This article aims to summarize the application status of AI in thoracic surgery and progress in robotic surgery, and looks ahead the future.
ObjectiveTo compare and analyze the therapeutic effect of robotic and laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer for obese patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. MethodsThe retrospective cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathologic data of 217 obese patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who were treated in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from October 2017 to January 2020 were collected, 104 patients received radical resection of rectal cancer assisted by Da Vinci robotic surgical system and were assigned to the robot group, 113 patients underwent laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of rectal cancer and were assigned to the laparoscope group. The perioperative indexes, pathological examination, and postoperative recovery of urogenital function were compared. ResultsThere were no significant differences between the two groups in the gender, age, body mass index, distance from lower edge of tumor to anal edge, tumor diameter, American Association of Anesthesiologists classification, preoperative complications, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen level, tumor differentiation, and TNM stage (P>0.05). The operations were successfully completed in all patients and there was no conversion to laparotomy and perioperative death. There were no significant differences between the two groups in the operation time, first exhaust time, first eating liquid food time, first getting out of bed activity time, drainage tube placement time, prophylactic stoma rate, and postoperative complications (P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss and total hospital stay in the robot group were less than those of the laparoscope group (P<0.05). The International Prostate Symptom Score of the robot group was lower than that of the laparoscope group at 3, 6, and 12 months after operation (P<0.05). The International Index of Erectile Function-15 score of male patients and Female Sexual Function Index-19 score of female patients in the robot group were higher than those in the laparoscope group at 3, 6, and 12 months after operation (P<0.05). ConclusionsRobotic surgery is safe and effective in treatment of obese patients with rectal adenocarcinoma. Compared with laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery could benefit patients more in protecting postoperative genitourinary function.
Objective To compare three surgical treatments for mediastinal mass with myasthenia gravis. Methods Retrospective analysis was performed on the clinical data of 53 patients who underwent extended thymectomy between January 2010 and December 2017 in our hospital. There were 29 males and 24 females, aged 17-73 years. Patients were divided into three groups according to the surgical methods: a group A (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with the da Vinci robotic system, n=22), a group B (video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery, n=12) and a group C (median sternotomy, n=19). The gender distribution, age, intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative extubation time, postoperative hospital stay, Osserman classification of myasthenia gravis, postoperative myasthenic remission rate, etc were compared in three groups. Results No perioperative death was observed in 53 patients. One patient in the group C suffered from postoperative myasthenic crisis and improved after active treatment. One patient with video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery was converted to median sternotomy due to the intraoperative injury of the left brachiocephalic vein. Compared with the group B and group C, the group A had shorter operation time, less intraoperative blood loss and drainage on the first postoperative day and fewer days of extubation. Postoperative hospital stay was less in the group A than that in the group C (P<0.05). The postoperative myasthenic remission rate was higher in the group A than that in the other two groups, but there was no statistical difference. Conclusion Because of the robot’s unique minimally invasive advantage, in this study, the outcome of patients with myasthenia gravis treated with Da Vinci robots and thymectomy is better than that of the remaining two groups in terms of perioperative outcomes and myasthenic remission rate. But long-term results and a large of number matching experiments are needed to confirm. However, it is undeniable that robotic surgery must be the future of the minimally invasive surgery.
Endoscopic and robotic surgeries feature small incision and reducing surgical trauma, and minimized incision scars. However, the oncological safety of their application in breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction for breast cancer has always been a focal clinical concern. The breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction using the suspension, insufflation, and lipolysis methods could achieve precise tumor resection in the selected patients and under the specific surgical conditions, with the support of appropriate instruments. Meanwhile, the innovative application of the reverse-sequence method and auxiliary port technique has further enhanced surgical efficiency and the precision of tumor resection. Current studies suggest that endoscopic and robotic-assited breast-conserving surgery and breast reconstruction yield in terms of oncological outcomes comparable to those of conventional open breast-conserving surgery, including positive margins, local recurrence, regional recurrence, distant metastasis, and overall survival. These approaches offered advantages in minimally invasive techniques and aesthetic outcomes. However, existing research was limited by short follow-up period and small sample sizes. Future large-scale, long-term prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to further validate their oncological safety and long-term efficacy. These studies could help establish novel techniques as standard surgical approaches for breast cancer, particularly the efficient and streamlined reverse-sequence endoscopic and auxiliary port-assisted techniques.