Safety and feasibility of robot-assisted surgery for pediatric patients weighing ≤ 10 kg with congenital biliary dilatation

The advantage of robot-assisted surgery (RAS) is its ability to perform fine surgical operations with higher-resolution images. RAS should be particularly beneficial for small children, but it requires a certain amount of working space. The da Vinci Surgical System instructions state that careful consideration of indications for robotic surgery in patients weighing ≤ 10 kg is required. We aimed to investigate the safety and efficacy of RAS in pediatric patients weighing ≤ 10 kg with congenital biliary dilatation (CBD). Pediatric patients who underwent surgery for CBD at our institution were included. Patients were divided into three groups: the ≤ 10 kg group (RS-S) and the > 10 kg group (RS-L), both of which underwent robotic surgery, and another ≤ 10 kg group (LS-S), which underwent laparoscopic surgery. No patient required conversion to laparotomy. The operative duration was significantly shorter in the RS-S group than in the RS-L group. Intraoperative bleeding and length of hospital stay did not differ significantly between the RS-S and RS-L groups. Postoperative drain removal and hospital stay were shorter in the RS-S group than in the LS-S group. Our findings suggest that RAS can be safely and precisely implemented for infants weighing ≤ 10 kg.