OBJECTIVETo evaluate the safety, feasibility, and efficacy of robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer using da Vinci surgical system.

METHODSA total of 120 patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy using da Vinci surgical system for gastric cancer from May 2010 to April 2012. Data regarding surgical and early oncological outcomes were systematically collected in a specific database for statistical analysis.

RESULTSThere were 74 males and 46 females, with a mean age of 58.5 (22-80) years old. The type of robotic operation included 62 distal subtotal gastrectomies, 35 total gastrectomies, and 23 proximal gastrectomies. Reconstruction of the alimentary tract was achieved using extracorporeal method through a minilaparotomy in 55 cases, and intracorporeal robot-sewn anastomosis in 65 cases. There was 1 conversion (0.9%). The operative time was (245±50) min and the docking time (17±5) min. The blood loss was (70±45) ml. The number of harvested lymph nodes was 22.5±10.7. The resection margins were negative in all surgical specimens. The postoperative pathological stage consisted of stage I B in 24 cases, stage II in 28, stage III A in 47, and stage III B in 21. Six patients (5%) developed postoperative complication including 1 case of duodenal stump leakage, 2 cases of esophagus-gastric leakage, 1 case of small bowel obstruction, 1 case of delayed gastric emptying, and 1 case of abdominal bleeding. All the complications were cured by reoperation or conservative therapy, and there were no postoperative 30-day deaths. The postoperative hospital stay was (6.3±2.6) days.

CONCLUSIONRobotic gastrectomy for the treatment of gastric cancer is a feasible and safe procedure, and is advantageous in terms of lymphadenectomy and alimentary tract reconstruction.