title: Role of robotic-assisted surgery in benign esophageal diseases.
abstract: Laparoscopic treatment of benign esophageal conditions is technically complex with several inherent limitations. Robotic-assisted surgery provides technical improvement and helps to overcome some of these limitations. We therefore report a single surgeon's experience in management of benign esophageal diseases by robotic-assisted surgery. Over a period of 8 consecutive years, a retrospective chart review was performed of 105 patients who underwent robotic-assisted surgery for benign esophageal diseases by a single surgeon. Demographic data and outcome measures were studied. The robotic-assisted procedures included 85 Nissen fundoplications with and without mesh repair, 12 Heller myotomies and eight para-esophageal hernia repairs. The mean total operating time was lowest for the Nissen group (94 min) and highest for the para-esophageal group (183 min). Operating time decreased from a mean of 105 min in the first 20 cases to 84 min in the last 20 cases for the Nissen group (P = 0.014). The mean length of stay was 1.3, 1.6, 1.5 and 4.8 days for the groups, respectively. Persistent symptoms of dysphagia/reflux/dysphonia requiring further investigation were seen in nine (8 %) of these patients. Two of these patients required repeat Nissen fundoplication in the mesh group. Our complication rate, total operating time and length of stay for robotic-assisted benign esophageal surgery are comparable to those reported in the literature. When performed by an experienced surgeon, robotic-assisted surgery is safe and effective in the management of benign esophageal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA. shireesh22@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shireesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saurabh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grossman
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Couto
authors.affiliation: Temple University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA, 19140, USA.
authors.forename: Namrata
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: David Scott
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Lind
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Lucian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Panait
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Drexel University College of Medicine, Broad and Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, USA.
authors.forename: Andres
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Castellanos
keywords: Benign esophageal diseases; Robotic Heller myotomy; Robotic Nissen fundoplication; Robotic para-esophageal hernia repair; Robotic surgery