Pediatric robotic surgery: A single-institutional review of the first 100 consecutive cases.
BACKGROUND
Robotic surgery is a new technology which may expand the variety of operations a surgeon can perform with minimally invasive techniques. We present a retrospective review of our first 100 consecutive robotic cases in children.


METHODS
A three-arm robot was used with one camera arm and two instrument arms. Additional accessory ports were utilized as necessary. Two different attending surgeons performed the procedures.


RESULTS
Twenty-four different types of procedures were completed using the robot. The majority of the procedures (89%) were abdominal procedures with 11% thoracic. No urology or cardiac procedures were performed. Age ranged from 1 day to 23 years with an average age of 8.4 years. Weight ranged from 2.2 to 103 kg with a median weight of 27.9 kg. Twenty-two patients were less than 10.0 kg. Examples of cases included gastrointestinal (GI) surgery, hepatobiliary, surgical oncology, and congenital anomalies. The overall majority of cases had never been performed minimally invasively by the authors. The overall intraoperative conversion rate to open surgery was 13%. One case (1%) was converted to thoracoscopic because of lack of domain for the articulating instruments. No conversions or complications occurred as a result of injuries from the robotic instruments. Interestingly, four abdominal cases were converted to open surgery due to equipment failures or injuries from standard laparoscopic instruments used through non-robotic accessory ports.


CONCLUSIONS
Robotic surgery is safe and effective in children. An enormous variety of cases can be safely performed including complex cases in neonates and small children. Simple operations such as cholecystectomies have minimal advantages by using robotic technology but can serve as excellent teaching tools for residents and newcomers to this form of minimally invasive surgery (MIS). The technology is ideal for complex hepatobiliary cases and thoracic surgery, particularly solid chest masses.
Meehan
John J
JJ
Division of Pediatric Surgery, Children's Hospital of Iowa, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, 200 Hawkins Drive, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA. john-j-meehan@uiowa.edu
Sandler
Anthony
A
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D018662:Fundoplication / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000191:economics; D008297:Male; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000503:physiopathology; D010372:Pediatrics; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012371:Robotics / Q000191:economics* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013906:Thoracoscopy / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome