Robotic distal splenopancreatectomy: bridging the gap between pancreatic and minimal access surgery.
BACKGROUND
Almost 10 years have passed since computer-aided, most commonly known as robotic surgery, has emerged gaining slowly but steadily its place within minimally invasive surgical procedures. Nevertheless, pancreatic surgeons only recently have started incorporating it into current practice.


METHODS
In this 'how I do it' article, we describe our method for robotic distal splenopancreatectomy, focusing on its technical advantages, as well as its drawbacks. Furthermore, we describe some pitfalls commonly encountered during the procedure and we propose ways to avoid them.


CONCLUSIONS
Pancreatic robotic-assisted surgery is offering many practical advantages over the "classic" laparoscopic approach. Even though a difficult procedure to master, it may have the potential to establish the concept of minimally invasive surgery in areas where it is nonexistent as in pancreatic surgery.
Ntourakis
Dimitrios
D
Pôle des Pathologies Digestives, Hépatiques et de la Transplantation, Hôpital de Hautepierre, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg-Université de Strasbourg, Avenue Molière, 67098, Strasbourg, France.
Marzano
Ettore
E
Lopez Penza
Patricia Alexandra
PA
Bachellier
Philippe
P
Jaeck
Daniel
D
Pessaux
Patrick
P
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010180:Pancreatectomy / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D011859:Radiography; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*; D013156:Splenectomy / Q000379:methods*; D013160:Splenic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
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