Short‐ and long‐term outcomes of robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: A single‐center retrospective cohort study

INTRODUCTION: Whether rectal cancer surgery by robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery provides beneficial advantages remains controversial. Although favorable outcomes in terms of the safety and technical feasibility of robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery have been demonstrated for rectal cancer, long‐term oncological outcomes for robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery have only been examined in a few studies. This retrospective study of subjects who underwent robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery evaluated short‐ and long‐term outcomes of consecutive rectal cancer patients. METHODS: Between November 2016 and January 2020, we analyzed the records of 62 consecutive patients who underwent robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery for rectal adenocarcinoma without distant metastasis to evaluate short‐ and long‐term outcomes. RESULTS: Tumors were located in the lower or mid‐rectum (88.7%) in most patients. The median operative time was 357 min. No patient received transfusions, and the median blood loss was 10.5 ml. Open laparotomy was not required in any patient. A Clavien–Dindo classification of all grades was observed in 12 patients (19.4%). Positive radial margin was not observed in any patient. Duration of median follow‐up was 40.5 mo, while 3‐y overall survival and 3‐y relapse‐free survival rates were 96.8% and 85.0%, respectively. The local recurrence rate was 3.4%. CONCLUSION: Favorable short‐ and long‐term outcomes demonstrated robotic‐assisted laparoscopic surgery was safe and technically feasible for rectal cancer.