Short-Term and Long-Term Outcomes of Robotic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer: A Single-Center, Single-Arm Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND

Robotic gastrectomy (RG) has emerged as a promising approach for gastric cancer (GC) treatment, offering advantages such as enhanced dexterity, improved visualization, and increased precision. However, its widespread adoption remains limited due to technical complexity, high costs, limited applications, and insufficient evidence.

METHODS

We conducted a single-center, prospective study to evaluate the safety and feasibility of RG, including robotic total gastrectomy (RTG), robotic proximal gastrectomy (RPG), and robotic distal gastrectomy (RDG) with D1+ or D2 lymphadenectomy, in clinical stage I/II GC. The primary endpoint was the incidence of intraoperative and postoperative complications, while the secondary endpoints included surgical outcomes and long-term prognosis.

RESULTS

Seven patients were enrolled. No intraoperative complications or conversions to open surgery occurred. The primary endpoint was met, with no major postoperative complications. RTG had a longer operative time and more lymph nodes dissected than RDG and RPG. The median postoperative hospital stay was 10 days. Recurrence was observed in two cases, one of which achieved long-term survival without chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate the safety and feasibility of RG for early and advanced GC. Further multicenter studies with larger cohorts are needed to establish its oncological benefits and cost-effectiveness, facilitating broader clinical adoption.