Background: The current robotic platform overcomes some limitations of single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy (SILC), however, whether robotic surgery is a safe and feasible approach must be investigated.
Methods: Patients referred for elective surgery willing to undergo single-incision robotic cholecystectomy (SIRC) by consent were enrolled. All procedures were performed by the same team using the same surgical equipment.
Results: Thirty patients underwent SIRC. The mean overall operation time was 53.80 ± 15.20 min (range 32-80) and mean console time was 16.67 ± 5.63 min (range 11-30). The mean postoperative stay was 1.30 ± 0.54 days (range 1-3). There were no perioperative major complications.
Conclusion: SIRC can be rapidly learnt and safely performed while overcoming the ergonomic difficulties encountered during SILC. SIRC can be a viable alternative treatment for gallbladder diseases in selected patients with strong interest in cosmetic outcomes who are willing to pay the higher costs associated with SIRC.
Keywords: cholecystectomy; da Vinci surgical system; minimally invasive surgery; robotic surgery; single-incision; single-site.
Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.