Latest Outcomes in Robotic-Assisted Bariatric Surgery: Contemporary Analysis of Laparoscopic Versus Robotic Sleeve Gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass.

BACKGROUND

Robotic-assisted bariatric surgery has expanded rapidly, but its advantages over conventional laparoscopy remain uncertain.

METHODS

We compared 30-day outcomes after robotic versus laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (SG) and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) using the MBSAQIP 2020 to 2023 database. Patients undergoing primary SG or RYGB were propensity score matched using 22 preoperative variables.

RESULTS

Among 502,645 SG and 194,300 RYGB procedures, robotic SG was associated with higher rates of emergency department visits, blood transfusions, readmissions, venous thromboembolism, surgical site infections, and postoperative bleeding than laparoscopic SG. In contrast, robotic RYGB demonstrated lower rates of blood transfusions, surgical site infections, postoperative bleeding, and strictures than laparoscopic RYGB.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that robotic assistance was associated with procedure-specific differences in 30-day outcomes, with worse outcomes after SG but modestly improved outcomes after RYGB compared with laparoscopy.