title: Robot-assisted laparoscopic gastrectomy for gastric cancer.
abstract: Phase III evidence in the shape of a series of randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses has shown that laparoscopic gastrectomy is safe and gives better short-term results with respect to the traditional open technique for early-stage gastric cancer. In fact, in the East laparoscopic gastrectomy has become routine for early-stage gastric cancer. In contrast, the treatment of advanced gastric cancer through a minimally invasive way is still a debated issue, mostly due to worries about its oncological efficacy and the difficulty of carrying out an extended lymphadenectomy and intestinal reconstruction after total gastrectomy laparoscopically. Over the last ten years the introduction of robotic surgery has implied overcoming some intrinsic drawbacks found to be present in the conventional laparoscopic procedure. Robot-assisted gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy has been shown to be safe and feasible for the treatment of gastric cancer patients. But unfortunately, most available studies investigating the robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer compared to laparoscopic and open technique are so far retrospective and there have not been phase III trials. In the present review we looked at scientific evidence available today regarding the new high-tech surgical robotic approach, and we attempted to bring to light the real advantages of robot-assisted gastrectomy compared to the traditional laparoscopic and open technique for the treatment of gastric cancer.
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franceschini
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Patriti
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Roviello
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Annecchiarico
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Graziano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
authors.affiliation: Stefano Caruso, Franco Franceschini, Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Unit of General Surgery, "Santa Maria Annunziata" Hospital, 50012 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coratti
keywords: Gastric cancer; Gastric resection; Minimally invasive surgery; Robot-assisted gastrectomy