title: Solo surgery in laparoscopic colectomy: a case-matched study comparing robotic and human scopist.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent technical developments have enabled solo surgery in laparoscopic surgery. Our experience of solo surgery using the voice-guided robotic arm in laparoscopic colectomy for colorectal cancer was analyzed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The colon-lifting method was used in this study. The laparoscope was handled by AESOP3000. The colon was retracted anteriorly by the thread that passed through the mesocolon. This method enables lymphadenectomy by stretching of feeding vessels and obviates the need for an assistant. The short-term outcomes and survival between robotic arm and human scopist in a series of laparoscopic colectomies were compared with a case-matched control study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The numbers of both group patients were 11 respectively. There was no conversion to open surgery in both groups. The operation time (Robotic vs. Human=269 min. vs. 265) and laparoscopic time (209 vs. 212) were not significant differences. There were also no significant differences in the bleeding, the morbidity rate and the numbers of dissected lymph nodes between the two groups. The five-year overall (81.8% vs. 72.7%) and disease-free (72.7% vs. 62.3%) survivals showed no significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic solo-surgery in colectomy is safe and feasible, without any deterioration of the curative potential of the procedure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan. u0970047@urahp.yokohama-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Shoichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Kazuteru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Mitsuyoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ota
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamagishi
authors.forename: Chikara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kunisaki
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ike
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Itaru
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shimada
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012371:Robotics / Q000379:methods*