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Randomized clinical trial of robot-assisted versus standard laparoscopic right colectomy
British Journal of Surgery, 08/09/2012
Clinical Article
Park JS et al. – Robotic–assisted laparoscopic right colectomy was feasible but provided no benefit to justify the greater cost
Methods- Patients with right–sided colonic cancer were randomized to receive RAC or LAC.
- The primary outcome measure was length of hospital stay.
- Secondary outcomes were duration of operation, morbidity, postoperative pain, hospital costs and pathological quality of the specimen.
- Of 71 patients randomized, 70 (35 in each group) were included in the analysis.
- Hospital stay, surgical complications, postoperative pain score, resection margin clearance and number of lymph nodes harvested were similar in both groups.
- The duration of surgery was longer in the RAC group (195 versus 130 min; P < 0•001).
- No conversion to open surgery was needed in either group.
- Overall hospital costs were significantly higher for RAC (US $ 12 235 versus $ 10 320; P = 0•013); the higher costs were attributed primarily to the costs of surgery, including consumables.
