Robot-assisted approach using a laparoscopic articulating vessel-sealing device versus pure-robotic approach during distal pancreatectomy

Robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) has emerged as a minimally invasive approach to left-sided pancreatic tumors. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of the robot-assisted approach (RAA) using a laparoscopic articulating vessel-sealing device (LAVSD) during RDP by comparing it with the pure-robotic approach (PRA). Among 62 patients who underwent RDP between April 2020 and December 2023 at Fujita Health University, 22 underwent RAA (the RAA group). In RAA, console surgeons mainly prepared the surgical fields, and assistant surgeons actively dissected the adipose and connective tissues using LAVSD. The surgical outcomes of these patients were compared with those of 40 consecutive patients who underwent RDP with PRA. In total, 28 males and 34 females with a median age of 71 years were analyzed. The console surgeon’s prior experience of performing RDP was similar between the groups (RAA; median, 6 [range, 0–36], PRA; median, 5.5 [range, 0–34] cases). The operation time was significantly shorter in the TST group (median, 300.5 [range, 202–557] vs. 363.5 [range, 230–556] min, p = 0.015). Major complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ grade 3a) occurred less frequently in the RAA group (4.6% vs. 25.0%, p = 0.028). Although the median postoperative hospital stay was slightly shorter in the RAA group (median, 12 [range, 8–38] vs. 14.5 [8–44] days, p = 0.095), no statistically significant difference was observed. Compared with PRA, RAA using LAVSD is found to be safe and feasible in introducing RDP for operators with little experience.