Robot-Assisted Colectomy for Left-Sided Colon Cancer: Comparison of Reduced-Port and Conventional Multi-Port Robotic Surgery

Abstract

Purpose: The robotic single-port access plus one conventional robotic port, a reduced-port robotic surgery (RPRS) for left-sided colon cancer, can enable lymphovascular dissection using the wristed instrumentation and safe rectal transection through an additional port maintaining the cosmetic advantage of the single-port surgery. The aim of this study is to compare the clinicopathological outcomes between reduced-port and conventional multi-port robotic colectomy for left-sided colon cancer.

Methods: The study group included 23 patients who underwent an RPRS and 16 patients who underwent a multi-PRS (MPRS) for left-sided colon cancer between August 2013 and January 2016.

Results: The operative time was significantly shorter in the RPRS group than in the MPRS group (mean time 258 ± 67 vs. 319 ± 66 minutes, P = .009). There were no apparent differences in tolerance of diet, postoperative pain score, length of hospital stay, the rate of postoperative complications, and the mean number of harvested lymph node, but the RPRS group had a significantly smaller total incision length (38 ± 12 mm vs. 83 ± 6 mm, P = .013).

Conclusions: This study shows the feasibility and safety of the RPRS, with clinicopathological outcomes that is comparable with that of the MPRS for left-sided colon cancer.