Initial Experience of Robot-Assisted Surgeries

Abstract

Objective: To present initial experience with the first 100 cases of robotic-assisted surgery by the Department of General Surgery.

Study design: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Surgery, National Hospital and Medical Centre, Lahore, Pakistan, from May 2022 to August 2023.

Methodology: Demographic and postoperative details of the first 100 patients to undergo robotic-assisted surgery by the Department of General Surgery were reviewed. Prospective data were collected from the hospital information database as well as the CMR database. The data collected in the hospital database included the patients' age, diagnoses, genders, complications during hospital stay as well as 90-day readmission, morbidity, and mortality. Data collected by CMR via Versius robotic surgery console or internal databases included operative minutes using the console.

Results: The average age of patients undergoing robotic surgery was 44.26 ± 14.08 years. Cholecystectomy (78%) was the most commonly performed robotic-assisted procedure. Only one patient had blood loss of more than 100ml. There was no postoperative complication, readmission or mortality during the study period.

Conclusion: With proper patient selection, robotic-assisted surgery is safe and feasible even in low- middle-income countries (LMICs).

Key words: Robotic-assisted surgery, Pakistan, Initial experience, Outcomes, Versius.