Short-term and long term morbidity in robotic pancreatic surgery: a systematic review

Francesco Serra; Isabella Bonaduce; Nicola De Ruvo; Nicola Cautero; Roberta Gelmini

doi:10.21037/gs-21-64

Short-term and long term morbidity in robotic pancreatic surgery: a systematic review

Gland Surg. 2021 May;10(5):1767-1779. doi: 10.21037/gs-21-64.

Authors

Francesco Serra¹, Isabella Bonaduce¹, Nicola De Ruvo¹, Nicola Cautero¹, Roberta Gelmini¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Surgery, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia - Policlinico of Modena, Modena, Italy.

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal tumours in Western society. Pancreatic surgery can be considered a challenge for open and laparoscopic surgeons, even if the accuracy of gland dissection, due to the close relationship between pancreas, the portal vein, and mesenteric vessels, besides the reconstructive phase (in pancreaticoduodenectomy), lead to significant difficulties for laparoscopic technique. Minimally invasive pancreatic surgery changed utterly with the development of robotic surgery. However, this review aims to make more clarity on the influence of robotic surgery on long-term morbidity.

Methods: A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus to identify and analyze studies published from November 2011 to September 2020 concerning robotic pancreatic surgery. The following terms were used to perform the search: "long term morbidity robotic pancreatic surgery".

Results: Eighteen articles included in the study were published between November 2011 and September 2020. The review included 2041 patients who underwent robotic pancreatic surgery, mainly for a malignant tumour. The two most common robotic surgical procedures adopted were the robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) and the robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD). In two studies, patients were divided into groups; on the one hand, those who underwent a robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD), on the other hand, those who underwent robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP). The remaining items included surgical approach such as robotic middle pancreatectomy (RMP), robotic distal pancreatectomy and splenectomy, robotic-assisted laparoscopic pancreatic dissection (RALPD), robotic enucleation of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours.

Conclusions: Comparison between robotic surgery and open surgery lead to evidence of different advantages of the robotic approach. A multidisciplinary team and a surgical centre at high volume are essential for better postoperative morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: Robotics; comorbidity; pancreatic fistula; pancreatic surgery; technique.

Publication types

Review