Short-term outcome of Da Vinci robotic versus laparoscopic radical colectomy for colon cancer

Objective To compare the short-term clinical outcomes of Da Vinci robotic versus laparoscopic radical colectomy for colon cancer. Methods Clinical data about 277 patients who underwent Da Vinci robotic radical colectomy (n=130) or laparoscopic radical colectomy (n=147) in department of general surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital from August 2013 to August 2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Perioperative variables were compared between the two groups. Results Compared with laparoscopic group, patients in robotic group had significantly less blood loss(84.66±17.38) ml vs (97.38±26.19) ml, P=0.000, shorter hospital stay(7.13±2.09) d vs (8.32±1.49) d, P=0.000, higher hospitalization costs(96.3±16.1) thousand yuan vs (63.0±17.7) thousand yuan, P=0.000. There was no significant difference in number of lymph nodes retrieved, intestinal function recovery time, time to liquid food intake, time to remove the urinary catheter and abdominal catheter and postoperative complications. Conclusion Robotic colectomies offer comparable safety and effectiveness as laparoscopic approaches for colon cancer, while it has less blood loss and higher costs.