Short-term outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer: A multicenter propensity score-matched study.

PURPOSE: There are limited reports on the safety of robotic surgery compared to laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer. In this study, we examined the impact of robotic surgery on the short-term outcomes of colon cancer using a multicenter database.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 4084 consecutive patients with colon cancer who underwent minimally invasive surgery between April 2016 and December 2025. Patients were classified into two groups according to the surgical approach: robotic surgery (R group, n = 438) and laparoscopic surgery (L group, n = 3646). Propensity score matching was applied to minimize selection bias and balance the covariates. Finally, 438 patients in each group were matched for analysis. The clinicopathological features were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

After matching, blood loss was lower (10 mL vs. 15 mL, p = 0.027), the conversion rate was lower (0.4% vs. 5.9%, p < 0.001), postoperative complications were fewer (7.5% vs. 15.3%, p < 0.001), and hospital stay was shorter (10 days vs. 12 days, p < 0.001) in the R group. The operation time was similar between the groups (p = 0.905).

CONCLUSIONS

Robotic surgery for colon cancer may help reduce the need for open conversion and the incidence of postoperative complications.