Robot-assisted laparoscopic partial hepatic caudate lobectomy

AbstractBackground: Hepatic caudate lobectomy is considered to be a technically difficult surgery because of the unique anatomy and deep location of the hepatic caudate lobe. Here, we assessed the technical feasibility and safety of robotic partial caudate lobectomy using the da Vinci® Surgical System and compared it with traditional open/laparoscopic surgery.Material and methods: Six patients diagnosed with liver cancer (primary liver cancer, 5; metastasis of breast cancer, 1) who underwent caudate lobectomy were prospectively enrolled. Two patients underwent robotic surgery, one underwent laparoscopic surgery, and three underwent traditional/open surgery. Surgical procedure, recovery, and characteristics of robotic surgery were noted and compared with other approaches.Results: All surgeries were successfully completed, and no serious postsurgical complications were observed. In the robotic group, the time taken to complete the surgery and the estimated intraoperative bleeding were 150 and 90 min and 50 ...