Background- Robotic surgery has recently grown in acceptance and usefulness in general surgery, and it may offer superior results to laparoscopic surgery in some gastrointestinal operations.

Objectives- To assess if the use of robot assistance during laparoscopic cholecystectomy is warranted when compared to traditional laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods- It was a retrospective record based study. All patients undergoing robotic or laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 2019 and 2022 at a single academic medical center were captured using institutional data. A total of 110 robotic surgeries were done and 1200 Laparoscopic cholecystectomies was done during the study period. The bulk of cases were primarily handled by two acute care general surgeons, who also conducted robotic and laparoscopic cholecystectomies. The institutional Clinical Data Repository provided the financial information. The study was approved by Institutional Ethics Committee. Age, sex, race, body mass index (BMI), and comorbid conditions of the patient were examined prior to surgery. SPSS was used for analysis.

Results- A total of 1310 patients were identified who underwent robotic or laparoscopic cholecystectomy between 2019 and 2022 among them Robotic-assisted approach was used in 9.1% (n = 110) of cases. There were no demographic differences in age, sex, race, and body mass index (BMI). Type II diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and CHF disease were statistically significantly different between groups. Mean age (Robotic: 41 [29-56] vs. Laparoscopic: 43 [30-54] years, p = 0.11) and BMI (Robotic: 28.4 [26.6-32.4] vs. Laparoscopic: 29.2 [27.5-33.4]) were similar between groups. both operative duration was greater and hospital cost were greater in robotic-assisted cholecystectomy and it was statistically significant (p<0.05), but hospital duration of stay and 90-day related readmission rates were less in robotic-assisted cholecystectomy which was significant; 30-day readmission rates were similar between both groups.

Conclusion- When compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy, robotic cholecystectomy has longer operating times and higher hospital costs, but it is also related with shorter hospital stays and a lower readmission rate within 90 days after the index procedure. Before exploring robotic cholecystectomy, hospitals and surgeons must weigh the enhanced clinical outcomes against the time and money necessary.

Vani Anand