Robot-assisted Radical Prostatectomy with the Novel Hugo Robotic System: Initial Experience and Optimal Surgical Set-up at a Tertiary Referral Robotic Center

Abstract

We describe the first five robot-assisted radical prostatectomies (RARPs) performed with the new Hugo RAS system (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) in Europe. The five patients underwent RARP ± lymph node dissection at OLV Hospital (Aalst, Belgium). All procedures were completed, with no need for conversion or for placement of additional ports. No intraoperative complication or technical failure of the system was recorded. The median operative time was 170 min (interquartile range [IQR]: 140-180) and the median console time was 120 min (IQR: 110-150). Median length of stay was 3 d (IQR: 2-4). System start-up and docking of the robotic arms were straightforward and rapid processes for a properly trained surgical team. Awaiting future investigations in larger series, this study proves the safety and feasibility of RARP with the Hugo RAS system and provides relevant data that may be of help to early adopters of this surgical platform.

Keywords: Medtronic Hugo RAS system; New robotic platform; Prostate cancer; Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy; Robotic surgery.