The safety and feasibility of robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy: A multicenter retrospective assessment of 425 patients in Japan

Background/Purpose: The Japanese public health insurance system has recently covered robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD). This study aimed to review the results of RPD during the introductory period and elucidate its safety and feasibility in Japan. Methods: Consecutive data of 425 patients who underwent RPD were retrospectively collected from 10 high-volume centers in Japan between April 2020 and September 2022. The primary endpoints were the rates of conversion to open surgery and completion of minimally invasive surgery (MIS), defined as the use of a totally robotic operation or combined robotic and laparoscopic procedures. Secondary endpoints were operative time, blood loss, complication rate, and 30- and 90-day mortality rates. Results: Study comprised 222 males and 203 females, with a median age of 70 (p10–p90; 50–81) years. The conversion to open surgery and completion rates of MIS were 3.8% (16 patients) and 91.1% (387 patients), respectively. The median operative time was 617 min (p10–p90; 456–834 min), and the median volume of blood loss was 160 g (p10–p90; 30–558 g). The complication rate (Clavien-Dindo classification grade ≥ IIIa) was 20.5%. The 30- and 90-day mortality rates were 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicate that RPD can be introduced successfully and is a promising approach for pancreaticoduodenectomy.