Ann Coloproctol.  2024 Apr;40(2):154-160. 10.3393/ac.2022.00332.0047.

A comparative study of the pathological outcomes of robot-assisted versus open surgery for rectal cancer

• Reyes R
• Kindler C
• Smedh K
• Tiselius C

• KMID: 2556081
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3393/ac.2022.00332.0047

Abstract

Purpose
The use of robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer is increasing, but the pathological outcomes have not been fully clarified. We compared the surgical and pathological outcomes between robot-assisted and open surgery in specimens from patients operated on for rectal cancer.
Methods
All patients who underwent resection for rectal cancer from 2016 to 2018 were included (n=137). Specimens were divided into 3 sections to analyze the pathology of the lymph nodes.
Results
The total specimen lengths were shorter in the robot-assisted group than in the open surgery group (mean±standard deviation: 29.1±8.6 cm vs. 33.8±9.9 cm, P=0.004) because of a shorter proximal resection margin (21.7±8.7 cm vs. 26.4±10.6 cm, P=0.006). The number of recruited lymph nodes (35.8±21.8 vs. 39.6±16.5, P=0.604) and arterial vessel length (8.84±2.6 cm vs. 8.78±2.4 cm, P=0.891) did not differ significantly between the 2 surgical approaches. Lymph node metastases were found in 33 of 137 samples (24.1%), but the numbers did not differ significantly between the procedures. Among these 33 cases, metastatic lymph nodes were located in the mesorectum (75.8%), in the sigmoid colon mesentery (33.3%), and at the arterial ligation site of the inferior mesenteric artery (12.1%). The circumferential resection margin and the proportion of complete mesorectal fascia were comparable between the groups.
Conclusion
There were no significant differences between the 2 surgical approaches regarding arterial vessel length, recruitment of lymph node metastases, and resection margins.

Keyword

Robotic surgical procedures; Rectal neoplasms; Lymph nodes; Arterial ligation; Lymph node metastases