Robotic emergency general surgery, future or fallacy?: case-matched comparison of operative and clinical outcomes during the adoption phase in a tertiary centre
摘要
Robotic surgery continues to expand rapidly in elective settings; however, its role in emergency care is limited to date. This study aims to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the adoption of robotic emergency general surgery (EGS) within a high-volume centre.
MethodsRobotic EGS cases performed between 2020 and 2024 at a large UK university hospital were identified and matched 1:3 to non-robotic cases based on operation type, age, gender, and pathology. Data on demographics, operative details, and operative and clinical outcomes were collected. Groups were compared using appropriate statistical tests.
ResultsA total of 369 patients were included, with 95 (25.7%) in the robotic and 274 (74.3%) in the non-robotic (open/laparoscopic) EGS group. There were no differences between groups for demographics, procedures, or pathology. No statistically significant differences were observed in major complications (10.5% vs 9.1%, p = 0.688), conversion to open surgery (1.1% vs 3.9%, p = 0.174), post-operative length of stay (4 vs 3 days, p = 0.814), and 6-month mortality (0.0% vs 2.9%, p = 0.092) between robotic and non-robotic groups. Adjusted analyses showed no association between surgical approach and differences in operative time, major complications, or post-operative stay.
ConclusionThe introduction of robotic emergency general surgery is safe and feasible with comparable short-term clinical outcomes to non-robotic approaches. Further research is needed to explore the impact of an established robotic EGS programme on long-term clinical, patient, and surgeon-reported outcomes.