Transperitoneal robotic resection of benign primary retroperitoneal tumors: can it be widely used?

Background This article was aimed to show the safety, flexibility and other advantages of transperitoneal robot-assisted resection of benign primary retroperitoneal tumors. Methods Ten patients underwent robotic surgeries, and 31 underwent laparotomy surgeries from 2012 to 2014. The perioperative data, including tumor size, operation time, and other parameters were analyzed. Results The tumor sizes of the two groups were not different (robotic group vs laparotomy group: 5.47 vs 5.32 cm, respectively; P = 0.777). The differences in the blood loss (robotic group vs laparotomy group: 80.00 vs. 146.08 mL, respectively; P = 0.021), time of oral intake (robotic group vs laparotomy group: 2.12 vs. 3.42 d, respectively; P = 0.045) and post-operation hospital stay (robotic group vs laparotomy group: 5.40 vs. 8.77 d, respectively; P = 0.004) were statistically significant and lower in the robotic group. Conclusion Robot-assisted resection of benign retroperitoneal tumors is flexible and safe and provides better protection when complex lesions are removed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.