Short-Term Outcomes After Selective Robotic Colorectal Surgery at a Large Public Tertiary Hospital in South Australia.

BACKGROUND

Interest in robotic colorectal surgery is growing, but outcomes in the Australian public health sector are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate short-term outcomes following robotic colorectal surgery in a public hospital setting.

METHODS

This retrospective case series included 70 patients who underwent robotic colorectal surgery and were treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, South Australia, between 2015 and 2025. All procedures were performed using the da Vinci Xi Surgical System.

RESULTS

The mean operative time was 270 min, with a 4.3% conversion rate to open surgery. The median length of stay was 5 days and there was no 30-day mortality. R0 resection rates were 93.3% for colon cancer and 87.5% for rectal cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Robotic colorectal surgery can be safely implemented within a universally funded public hospital setting. In our specific centre we demonstrate excellent surgical outcomes but have identified oncological outcomes that need ongoing improvement with increasing volume.