Robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a comparative study.
BACKGROUND
The efficacy of conventional laparoscopic cholecystectomy (CLC) was compared with robot-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy (RLC). Surgical trainees performed the LC to avoid the surgeon's experience bias.


METHODS
Two surgical trainees performed 10 CLCs and 10 RLCs at random with a Zeus-Aesop Surgical Robotic System. The primary efficacy parameters were the total time and the number of actions involved in the procedure. The secondary parameters were setup and dissection times, and the number of grasping and dissection actions. Surgical complications were evaluated.


RESULTS
For CLC and RLC, respectively, the total times were 95.4 +/- 28 min and 123.5 +/- 33.3 min and the total actions were 420 +/- 176.3 and 363.5 +/- 158.2. For CLC, the times required for setup (21 +/- 10.4 min) and dissection (50.2 +/- 17.7 min) were less than for RLC (33.8 +/- 11.3 min and 72 +/- 24.3 min, respectively). The numbers of grasping and dissection actions were not significantly different: 41.4 +/- 26.5 and 378 +/- 173.7, respectively, for CLC versus 48.9 +/- 27 and 314.6 +/- 141.9, respectively, for RLC.


CONCLUSIONS
Although feasible, RLC requires significantly more time than CLC because of slower performed actions.
Nio
D
D
Department of Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Bemelman
W A
WA
Busch
O R C
OR
Vrouenraets
B C
BC
Gouma
D J
DJ
D000328:Adult; D017081:Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D008875:Middle Aged; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation; D013996:Time and Motion Studies