Objective:To compare the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic radical resection of right- and left-sided colon cancer.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data on patients who had undergone robotic or laparoscopic radical resection of right and left sided-colon cancer performed by two senior physicians in the Department of Gastro-Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University between January 2015 and December 2023 were collected. The patients were allocated to robotic ( n=117) or laparoscopic groups ( n=267). Propensity score matching in a ratio of 1∶1 was implemented to minimize the impact of imbalances in baseline information between the two groups. Propensity score matching left 228 patients in the study cohort, with 114 in each group. The participants were aged (60.8±12.1) and (60.3±13.1) years and the body mass indices were (23.1±3.0) kg/m 2 and (23.1±2.8) kg/m 2 in the robotic and laparoscopic groups respectively. After matching, relevant perioperative indicators, postoperative complications, and 3-year survival outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results:After propensity score matching, the differences in baseline information between the two groups were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). After matching, in the robotic surgery group, radical resection of right- versus left-sided colon cancer had been performed on 80 and 34 patients, respectively; compared with 78 and 36, respectively, in the laparoscopic surgery group. Compared with the laparoscopic group, the robotic group had a longer operative time ( [209.8±48.4] minutes vs. [186.7±46.9] minutes, t=3.665, P<0.001), higher hospitalization cost ( [88657.8±18548.1] yuan vs. [61179.5±13822.7] yuan, t=12.683, P<0.001), and lower rate of postoperative complications (7.9% [9/114] vs. 17.5% [20/114], χ 2=4.780, P=0.029); these differences are statistically significant. The robotic group tended to have a lower conversion rate than the laparoscopic group (0 vs. 4.4% [5/114]); however, this difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (χ 2=3.272, P=0.070). The amount of intraoperative bleeding, time to first passage of flatus, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade), number of resected lymph nodes, and number of positive lymph nodes did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Furthermore, the differences between the robotic and laparoscopic groups in 3-year disease-free survival (81.4% vs. 82.8%, P=0.863) and overall survival (83.1% vs. 86.5%, P=0.921) were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Robotic radical resection of right and left-sided colon cancer is safe and feasible and an effective alternative to laparoscopic surgery. Although robotic surgery has a longer operative time and higher hospitalization costs than laparoscopic surgery, it has a lower rate of postoperative complications, and a 3-year survival outcome comparable to that of laparoscopic surgery.

Objective:To compare the short- and mid-term clinical outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic radical resection of right- and left-sided colon cancer.Methods:In this retrospective cohort study, clinical data on patients who had undergone robotic or laparoscopic radical resection of right and left sided-colon cancer performed by two senior physicians in the Department of Gastro-Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Daping Hospital, Army Medical University between January 2015 and December 2023 were collected. The patients were allocated to robotic ( n=117) or laparoscopic groups ( n=267). Propensity score matching in a ratio of 1∶1 was implemented to minimize the impact of imbalances in baseline information between the two groups. Propensity score matching left 228 patients in the study cohort, with 114 in each group. The participants were aged (60.8±12.1) and (60.3±13.1) years and the body mass indices were (23.1±3.0) kg/m 2 and (23.1±2.8) kg/m 2 in the robotic and laparoscopic groups respectively. After matching, relevant perioperative indicators, postoperative complications, and 3-year survival outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results:After propensity score matching, the differences in baseline information between the two groups were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). After matching, in the robotic surgery group, radical resection of right- versus left-sided colon cancer had been performed on 80 and 34 patients, respectively; compared with 78 and 36, respectively, in the laparoscopic surgery group. Compared with the laparoscopic group, the robotic group had a longer operative time ( [209.8±48.4] minutes vs. [186.7±46.9] minutes, t=3.665, P<0.001), higher hospitalization cost ( [88657.8±18548.1] yuan vs. [61179.5±13822.7] yuan, t=12.683, P<0.001), and lower rate of postoperative complications (7.9% [9/114] vs. 17.5% [20/114], χ 2=4.780, P=0.029); these differences are statistically significant. The robotic group tended to have a lower conversion rate than the laparoscopic group (0 vs. 4.4% [5/114]); however, this difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (χ 2=3.272, P=0.070). The amount of intraoperative bleeding, time to first passage of flatus, postoperative hospital stay, postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade), number of resected lymph nodes, and number of positive lymph nodes did not differ significantly between the two groups (all P>0.05). Furthermore, the differences between the robotic and laparoscopic groups in 3-year disease-free survival (81.4% vs. 82.8%, P=0.863) and overall survival (83.1% vs. 86.5%, P=0.921) were not statistically significant ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Robotic radical resection of right and left-sided colon cancer is safe and feasible and an effective alternative to laparoscopic surgery. Although robotic surgery has a longer operative time and higher hospitalization costs than laparoscopic surgery, it has a lower rate of postoperative complications, and a 3-year survival outcome comparable to that of laparoscopic surgery.