title: [Robotic-assisted radical gastrectomy using da Vinci robotic system: a report of 41 cases].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the feasibility and safety of da Vinci robotic-assisted radical gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-one patients with gastric cancer from Southwest Hospital between March 2010 and December 2011 underwent da Vinci robotic-assisted radical gastrectomy including total gastrectomy(n=12) and distal gastrectomy (n=29).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Conversion was required in two patients. One was converted to open surgery, and the other to conventional laparoscopic surgery. The remaining thirty-nine patients underwent da Vinci robotic-assisted radical gastrectomy successfully. The mean operative time was (285±61) min for total gastrectomy, and (225±39) min for distal gastrectomy. The mean blood loss was (180±157) ml in total gastrectomy, and (150±127) ml in distal gastrectomy. The mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 34.2±18.5. The mean time for gastrointestinal function recovery was (3.1±1.2) days. The time to ambulation was (2.7±1.5) days. The time to oral liquid intake was (3.7±1.5) days. Two patients had complication including wound infection and pneumonia. After follow up ranging from 1 to 21 months (median 11 months), 4 patients died from peritoneal metastasis, 1 survived with tumor, and the remaining 36 patients survived without disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  da Vinci robotic-assisted radical gastrectomy is a feasible and safe surgical procedure with clear operation field, precise dissection, minimal trauma and fast recovery.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, The Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, China. yupeiwu01@sina.com
authors.forename: Pei-wu
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Dong-zhu
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Yong-liang
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Ying-xue
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qian
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012371:Robotics; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*