ROBOTIC surgery shortened hospital stay versus laparoscopy for obese patients with colorectal cancer, with comparable safety overall.
Robotic Assisted Versus Laparoscopic Surgery Outcomes
Obesity can complicate colorectal cancer surgery by narrowing operative exposure and increasing technical difficulty, raising interest in whether robotic platforms improve outcomes over standard laparoscopic surgery. In a systematic review and meta-analysis, investigators compared robotic assisted surgery with standard laparoscopic surgery specifically in obese patients undergoing colorectal cancer procedures.
The authors conducted a comprehensive literature search across databases from inception through April 2024. Pooled outcomes focused on recovery and safety metrics relevant to perioperative decision making, including hospital stay duration, drainage tube removal time, first ventilation time, overall complications, readmissions, and reoperations. Six studies met inclusion criteria, representing 4,215 patients.
Robotic assisted surgery was associated with a statistically significant reduction in hospital stay compared with laparoscopic surgery (p=0.02). The authors characterized the magnitude of benefit as modest, suggesting the difference may be clinically meaningful in selected patients and settings but should not be overinterpreted as a large recovery advantage.
Safety Signals Were Similar Between Approaches
Across pooled analyses, there were no significant differences between robotic and laparoscopic approaches for several short-term recovery markers. Drainage tube removal time did not differ significantly (p=0.42), and first ventilation time was also similar (p=0.27).
Importantly for surgeons weighing potential tradeoffs, complication rates were comparable between approaches (OR=0.92; 95% CI: 0.74 to 1.13; p=0.41). Readmission rates (OR=0.81; 95% CI: 0.31 to 2.13; p=0.67) and reoperative rates (OR=1.20; 95% CI: 0.77 to 1.86; p=0.41) likewise showed no significant differences.
The authors concluded that robotic assisted surgery may offer a modest reduction in hospital stay without compromising patient safety for obese colorectal cancer patients. They emphasized cautious interpretation and highlighted the need for future randomized controlled trials to confirm comparative effectiveness.
Reference: Wu H et al. Robotic assisted versus standard laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer in obese patients: a systematic review and meta analysis. Rev Comput Assist Surg (Abingdon). 2026;31(1):2604610.
