The Use of the Robot for Abdominal Oncologic Procedures

The need for improved patient outcomes has been a driving force for novel innovations in the field of abdominal surgical oncology. Specifically, minimally invasive techniques in that field have shown evolving role in defining standards of care, to overcome the limitations of conventional laparoscopic approach as well as to improve the patient outcomes from an oncological as well as quality-of-life points of view. Robotic surgery has developed during the last decades as a more technologically advanced minimally invasive approach, and it is increasingly being adopted for increasingly complex oncologic operations. Robotically assisted technology offers potential advantages that include improved magnified three-dimensional vision, wristed instruments improving surgeon ambidexterity, and tremor filtration facilitating surgical precision. These technological advantages may allow the abdominal oncology surgeon to perform increasingly radical oncologic operations in complex patients. Published outcomes from robotic gastrointestinal surgery highlighted safety, feasibility, and preserved oncologic outcomes. On the other side of the matter, however, robotic approach is affected by some limitations, such as high costs, absence of tactile feedback, and the need for dedicated training. In this chapter, the role of robotic surgery in the management of digestive system cancers is described, with an emphasis on comparison with laparotomy and conventional laparoscopy.