Low Weight Child: Can It Be Considered a Limit of Robotic Surgery? Experience of Two Centers

Abstract

Purpose: Robotic surgery should be considered a technical opportunity for many procedures in pediatric age. The purpose of this study is to verify the correlation between robotic procedures and low weight. Materials and Methods: It is a retrospective study (2013-2017). We included all patients who underwent robotic assisted surgery for major procedures in two Italian centers for pediatric surgery. All patients were divided into two groups (group A ≤15 kg and group B > 15 kg). Parameters considered were as follows: time to console, average time procedures, time of hospitalization, and minor/major complications. Statistical test used was Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results: We enrolled 83 patients. Group A: 28 patients, medium weight 11.2 kg (range: 7-15 kg). Group B: 55 patients, average weight 40.8 kg (range: 15.2-120 kg). In relation to the outcomes considered, we found statistical significance in relation to surgical time and time at the console. Conclusions: The retrospective analysis of our case found that body weight cannot be considered an absolute contraindication for the execution of surgical procedures in robotics. The improvement of instruments permits to perform complex surgical procedures in low-weight children without additional difficulties. However, it is important to point out that the youngest child of our case had a weight of 7 kg.

Keywords: minimally invasive surgery; pediatric surgery; robotic surgery.