Anaesthetic management of robotic-assisted gynaecology surgery in the morbidly obese - A case series of 46 patients in a UK university teaching hospital

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The evolution of robotic technology has enhanced the scope of laparoscopic surgery. Morbid obesity [body mass index (BMI) >40 kg/m(2)] due to significant physiological attributes presents a significant surgical and anaesthetic challenge. Robotic surgery in this subset of patients can present with its own problems due to surgical requirements of prolonged pneumoperitoneum and steep Trendelenburg position. METHODS: We reviewed the anaesthetic management of 46 morbidly obese patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic gynaecology surgery. Patient characteristics, anaesthetic management, length of hospital stay (LOS), complications, and readmissions within 30 days were noted. Mean with standard deviation was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: The mean [standard deviation (SD)] weight and BMI were 121.2 (18.49) kg and 47.83 (7.89) kg/m(2), respectively. The mean (SD) anaesthetic and surgical times were 229 (75.9) and 167.7 (62.7) min, respectively. The mean (SD) LOS was 1.57 (1.03) days. About 70% of patients were discharged on the first day after surgery. Six patients needed critical care support. There were two readmissions within 30 days. CONCLUSION: Good preparation, teamwork, and multidisciplinary input helped us to conduct complex robotic-assisted and long-duration surgery in morbidly obese patients with minimal complications.