Objective:To analyze and compare the efficacy of robotic, laparoscopic and open dorsal mesh rectopexy in the treatment of severe rectal prolapse.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients who had a full-thickness rectum pulled out of the anus before surgery and the length was greater than 8 cm, and underwent transabdominal dorsal mesh rectopexy were enrolled in the study. Those who had urinary or sexual dysfunction before surgery, could not perform sexual function scores due to lack of a fixed sexual partner or sexual activity after surgery, underwent laparotomy again during the perioperative period, were transferred to laparotomy during robotic or laparoscopic surgery, or had no complete information, were excluded. A total of 61 patients with severe rectal prolapse in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2014 to 2018 were enrolled and divided into robotic group (20 cases), laparoscopic group (20 cases) and open group (21 cases) according to the operative procedure based on patients' will. Perioperative parameters were compared among the 3 groups. The International Prostatic Symptoms Score Scale (IPSS, higher score indicates more severe urinary dysfunction), the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF-15, lower score indicates more severe male sexual dysfunction) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-19, lower score indicates more severe female sexual dysfunction) were used to evaluate and compare the urinary and sexual function before and after operation.Results:There were no significant differences in baseline data among the 3 groups (all P>0.05). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, the operative time was (176.3±13.8) minutes, (160.2±12.1) minutes and (134.2±12.1) minutes; intraoperative blood loss was (58.5±18.9) ml, (67.9±15.7) ml and (114.2±8.4) ml; the first time to ambulation was (19.9±6.8) hours, (24.0±8.9) hours and (37.7±11.4) hours; the first time to gas passage was (31.8±6.8) hours, (35.7±8.9) hours and (49.2±11.2) hours; the hospitalization time was (11.0±1.4) days, (11.4±1.4) days and (13.3±2.1) days; whose differences among 3 groups were all significant (all P<0.001). While no significant differences in morbidity of complication and recurrence among 3 groups were observed (all P>0.05). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, the preoperative IPSS score was (4.2±1.7), (4.4±1.3), and (4.7±1.8); the IPSS score at postoperative 3-month was (8.5±2.5), (9.9±1.7), and (12.2±3.1); IPSS score at postoperative 12-month was (4.3±1.6), (5.8±1.3), and (6.3±1.5), respectively. Compared to preoperative score, postoperative IPSS score increased obviously, then decreased gradually ( P<0.001). Preoperative male IIEE score was (22.8±1.8), (22.1±2.1), and (22.6±1.5). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, male IIEE score at postoperative 6-month was (19.6±2.1), (17.1±2.1), and (15.0±2.1); male IIEE score at postoperative 12-month was (22.4±1.6), (19.9±1.5), (17.9±1.8), respectively. Preoperative female FSFI score was (26.4±3.4), (26.6±3.2), and (26.6±3.0); female FSFI score at postoperative 6-month was (21.5±3.3), (18.9±2.9), (17.0±2.6); female FSFI score at postoperative 12-month was (26.1±2.7), (22.7±3.2), and (21.2±2.3), respectively. Postoperative male IIEE score and female FSFI score decreased significantly and then increased gradually with time, whose differences were all significant (all P<0.05). Postoperative IPSS, IIEE, and FSFI scores in the robotic group were superior to those in the laparoscopic and open groups (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Robotic surgery is safe and effective in the treatment of severe rectal prolapse, and is more advantageous in preserving urinary function and sexual function.

Objective:To analyze and compare the efficacy of robotic, laparoscopic and open dorsal mesh rectopexy in the treatment of severe rectal prolapse.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was performed. Patients who had a full-thickness rectum pulled out of the anus before surgery and the length was greater than 8 cm, and underwent transabdominal dorsal mesh rectopexy were enrolled in the study. Those who had urinary or sexual dysfunction before surgery, could not perform sexual function scores due to lack of a fixed sexual partner or sexual activity after surgery, underwent laparotomy again during the perioperative period, were transferred to laparotomy during robotic or laparoscopic surgery, or had no complete information, were excluded. A total of 61 patients with severe rectal prolapse in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from 2014 to 2018 were enrolled and divided into robotic group (20 cases), laparoscopic group (20 cases) and open group (21 cases) according to the operative procedure based on patients' will. Perioperative parameters were compared among the 3 groups. The International Prostatic Symptoms Score Scale (IPSS, higher score indicates more severe urinary dysfunction), the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF-15, lower score indicates more severe male sexual dysfunction) and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI-19, lower score indicates more severe female sexual dysfunction) were used to evaluate and compare the urinary and sexual function before and after operation.Results:There were no significant differences in baseline data among the 3 groups (all P>0.05). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, the operative time was (176.3±13.8) minutes, (160.2±12.1) minutes and (134.2±12.1) minutes; intraoperative blood loss was (58.5±18.9) ml, (67.9±15.7) ml and (114.2±8.4) ml; the first time to ambulation was (19.9±6.8) hours, (24.0±8.9) hours and (37.7±11.4) hours; the first time to gas passage was (31.8±6.8) hours, (35.7±8.9) hours and (49.2±11.2) hours; the hospitalization time was (11.0±1.4) days, (11.4±1.4) days and (13.3±2.1) days; whose differences among 3 groups were all significant (all P<0.001). While no significant differences in morbidity of complication and recurrence among 3 groups were observed (all P>0.05). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, the preoperative IPSS score was (4.2±1.7), (4.4±1.3), and (4.7±1.8); the IPSS score at postoperative 3-month was (8.5±2.5), (9.9±1.7), and (12.2±3.1); IPSS score at postoperative 12-month was (4.3±1.6), (5.8±1.3), and (6.3±1.5), respectively. Compared to preoperative score, postoperative IPSS score increased obviously, then decreased gradually ( P<0.001). Preoperative male IIEE score was (22.8±1.8), (22.1±2.1), and (22.6±1.5). In the robotic, laparoscopic and open groups respectively, male IIEE score at postoperative 6-month was (19.6±2.1), (17.1±2.1), and (15.0±2.1); male IIEE score at postoperative 12-month was (22.4±1.6), (19.9±1.5), (17.9±1.8), respectively. Preoperative female FSFI score was (26.4±3.4), (26.6±3.2), and (26.6±3.0); female FSFI score at postoperative 6-month was (21.5±3.3), (18.9±2.9), (17.0±2.6); female FSFI score at postoperative 12-month was (26.1±2.7), (22.7±3.2), and (21.2±2.3), respectively. Postoperative male IIEE score and female FSFI score decreased significantly and then increased gradually with time, whose differences were all significant (all P<0.05). Postoperative IPSS, IIEE, and FSFI scores in the robotic group were superior to those in the laparoscopic and open groups (all P<0.05). Conclusion:Robotic surgery is safe and effective in the treatment of severe rectal prolapse, and is more advantageous in preserving urinary function and sexual function.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between pelvimetric parameters and surgical difficulty in robot-assisted total mesorectal excision (TME) performed by experienced colorectal surgeons, and to build a nomogram model.Methods:This was a retrospective observational study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) tumor within 10 cm of the anal verge; (2) cancer confirmed by pathological examination of the postoperative specimen; (3) preoperative complete magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data available; (4) depth of tumor invasion T1-3; (5) circumferential resection margin assessed as negative by MRI; and (6) R0 resection achieved. The exclusion criteria comprised (1) history of pelvic fractures; (2) history of pelvic surgery; and (3) emergency required because of tumor-related intestinal obstruction and/or perforation. Application of above criteria yielded 82 patients who had undergone robot-assisted total mesorectal excision of mid and low rectal cancer in the Department of Colorectal Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2022 (modeling group). Additionally, data of 35 patients with mid and low rectal cancer who had undergone robotic-assisted TME at the same center in 2023 January–August were collected for validation of the model (validation group). The following 13 pelvic parameters were studied: pelvic inlet diameter, pelvic outlet diameter, pubic tubercle height, sacral height, sacral depth, interspinous distance, inter-tuberosity distance, lateral mesorectal span, anterior-posterior mesorectal span, anterior mesorectal thickness, posterior mesorectal thickness, rectal area, and mesorectal area. Operating time was used as an indicator of the degree of surgical difficulty, this being defined as the time from the start of skin incision to the end of abdominal closure. Variables related to the duration of surgery were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the difficulty of TME, after which a nomogram for predicting the difficulty of the procedure was established. We constructed receiver operating characteristic and calibration curves to validate the predictive power of nomogram. Furthermore, data from the validation group were used for external validation of the model.Results:The model group comprised 82 patients, including 54 men and 28 women of median age 61.0 years. The median body mass index (BMI) was 23.7 kg/m 2, median distance between the tumor and anal verge 6.1 cm, and median tumor diameter 4.5 cm. Fourteen of these patients had received preoperative adjuvant therapy and 12 had a history of abdominal surgery. There were 35 patients (24 men and 11 women) of median age 64.0 years in the validation group. Their median BMI was 23.7 kg/m 2 and median distance between the tumor and anal verge 6.3 cm. Multivariable analyses of the model group showed that BMI (OR=1.227, 95%CI: 1.240–1.469, P=0.026), distance between the tumor and anal verge (OR=0.733, 95%CI: 0.562–0.955, P=0.022), and interspinous distance (OR=0.468, 95%CI: 0.270–0.812, P=0.007) were independent predictors of surgical difficulty. We then built and validated a predictive nomogram based on the above three variables (AUC=0.804, 95%CI: 0.707–0.900). Calibration curves showed that the S:P in this model was 0.987 and the C-index 0.804. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the predictive model in the validation dataset was 0.767 (95%CI: 0.606–0.928). Conclusion:MRI-based measurements of pelvic parameters are associated with difficulty of performing robot-assisted TME for mid and low rectal cancer. Our nomogram model constructed based on measurements of pelvic parameters has a good predictive ability.

Objective:To evaluate the relationship between pelvimetric parameters and surgical difficulty in robot-assisted total mesorectal excision (TME) performed by experienced colorectal surgeons, and to build a nomogram model.Methods:This was a retrospective observational study. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) tumor within 10 cm of the anal verge; (2) cancer confirmed by pathological examination of the postoperative specimen; (3) preoperative complete magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data available; (4) depth of tumor invasion T1-3; (5) circumferential resection margin assessed as negative by MRI; and (6) R0 resection achieved. The exclusion criteria comprised (1) history of pelvic fractures; (2) history of pelvic surgery; and (3) emergency required because of tumor-related intestinal obstruction and/or perforation. Application of above criteria yielded 82 patients who had undergone robot-assisted total mesorectal excision of mid and low rectal cancer in the Department of Colorectal Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University from January 2021 to December 2022 (modeling group). Additionally, data of 35 patients with mid and low rectal cancer who had undergone robotic-assisted TME at the same center in 2023 January–August were collected for validation of the model (validation group). The following 13 pelvic parameters were studied: pelvic inlet diameter, pelvic outlet diameter, pubic tubercle height, sacral height, sacral depth, interspinous distance, inter-tuberosity distance, lateral mesorectal span, anterior-posterior mesorectal span, anterior mesorectal thickness, posterior mesorectal thickness, rectal area, and mesorectal area. Operating time was used as an indicator of the degree of surgical difficulty, this being defined as the time from the start of skin incision to the end of abdominal closure. Variables related to the duration of surgery were subjected to univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to identify factors associated with the difficulty of TME, after which a nomogram for predicting the difficulty of the procedure was established. We constructed receiver operating characteristic and calibration curves to validate the predictive power of nomogram. Furthermore, data from the validation group were used for external validation of the model.Results:The model group comprised 82 patients, including 54 men and 28 women of median age 61.0 years. The median body mass index (BMI) was 23.7 kg/m 2, median distance between the tumor and anal verge 6.1 cm, and median tumor diameter 4.5 cm. Fourteen of these patients had received preoperative adjuvant therapy and 12 had a history of abdominal surgery. There were 35 patients (24 men and 11 women) of median age 64.0 years in the validation group. Their median BMI was 23.7 kg/m 2 and median distance between the tumor and anal verge 6.3 cm. Multivariable analyses of the model group showed that BMI (OR=1.227, 95%CI: 1.240–1.469, P=0.026), distance between the tumor and anal verge (OR=0.733, 95%CI: 0.562–0.955, P=0.022), and interspinous distance (OR=0.468, 95%CI: 0.270–0.812, P=0.007) were independent predictors of surgical difficulty. We then built and validated a predictive nomogram based on the above three variables (AUC=0.804, 95%CI: 0.707–0.900). Calibration curves showed that the S:P in this model was 0.987 and the C-index 0.804. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of the predictive model in the validation dataset was 0.767 (95%CI: 0.606–0.928). Conclusion:MRI-based measurements of pelvic parameters are associated with difficulty of performing robot-assisted TME for mid and low rectal cancer. Our nomogram model constructed based on measurements of pelvic parameters has a good predictive ability.