ABSTRACT
Background: In February 2021 Medtronic® (Minneapolis, MN) launched the HUGO™ Robot-Assisted Surgery (RAS) System in the global market. The aim of the current study is to describe the first case series and the optimal setup of robot-assisted pyeloplasty procedure, performed with HUGO RAS system in a tertiary referral robotic center. Methods: Data from consecutive patients who underwent robot-assisted pyeloplasty at Onze-Lieve-Vrouwziekenhuis Hospital (Aalst, Belgium) were recorded. Baseline characteristics, and perioperative and surgical outcomes were collected. Results: Overall, 10 robot-assisted pyeloplasties were performed (October 2022-September 2023). Based on our expertise, the following minor setting changes have been made, relative to the official setup guide: the endoscope port and, subsequently, the left and right-hand ports were positioned more laterally. Additionally, the reserve/4th port was placed more laterally and cranially, and adjusted the arm cart's tilt angle, reducing it from -30° to -15°. The median docking time was 8 (interquartile range [IQR]: 7.2-9.8) minutes, and the median active console time was 89.5 (80.0-95.8) minutes. No conversion to open/laparoscopic surgery or perioperative complications was encountered. A single technical problem was recorded in 1 (10%) procedure. Specifically, one arm was blocked, and the procedure was accomplished with three arms without compromising the procedure success. Conclusions: This study represents the first worldwide series of robot-assisted pyeloplasty performed with the HUGO RAS system and shows promising results. The procedure might be safely performed with this robotic platform achieving optimal perioperative outcomes.
Subject(s)
Laparoscopy , Robotic Surgical Procedures , Robotics , Humans , Treatment Outcome , Laparoscopy/methods , Tertiary Care Centers , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
Objective: In the last years, robotic surgery was introduced in several different settings with good perioperative results. However, its role in the management of adrenal masses is still debated. In order to provide a contribution to this field, we described our step-by-step technique for robotic adrenalectomy (RA) and related modifications according to the type of adrenal mass treated. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 27 consecutive patients who underwent RA at Onze-Lieve-Vrouw hospital (Aalst, Belgium) between January 2009 and October 2022. Demographic, intra- and post-operative, and pathological data were retrieved from our prospectively maintained institutional database. Continuous variables are summarized as median and interquartile range (IQR). Categorical variables are reported as frequencies (percentages). Results: Twenty-seven patients underwent RA were included in the study. Median age, body mass index, and Charlson's comorbidity index were 61 (IQR: 49-71) years, 26 (IQR: 24-29) kg/m2, and 2 (IQR: 0-3), respectively, and 16 (59.3%) patients were male. Median tumor size at computed tomography scan was 6.0 (IQR: 3.5-8.0) cm. Median operative time and blood loss were 105 (IQR: 82-120) min and 175 (IQR: 94-250) mL, respectively. No intraoperative complications were recorded. Overall postoperative complications rate was 11.1%, with a postoperative transfusion rate of 3.7%. A total of 10 (37.0%) patients harbored malignant adrenal masses. Among them, 3 (11.1%) had adrenocortical carcinoma, 6 (22.2%) secondary metastasis, and 1 (3.7%) malignant pheochromocytoma on final pathological exam. Only 1 (10.0%) patient had positive surgical margins. Conclusion: We described our step-by-step technique for RA, which can be safely performed even in case of high challenging settings as malignant tumors, pheochromocytoma, and large masses. The standardization of perioperative protocol should be encouraged to maximize the outcomes of this complex surgical procedure.
ABSTRACT
Worldwide, we have witnessed an expansion of robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery (RALS) and thanks to the global adoption of high-resolution diagnostic imaging technologies, an increased incidence of newly diagnosed prostatic, renal and bladder cancers has been recorded with concurrent second primary urological cancer diagnoses increasing by 1.5%. Diverse authors have reported their findings concerning synchronous multi-visceral malignances robotic treatment within the scientific literature. The aim of this study is to comprehensively review all reported articles describing concurrent upper and lower RALS using a singular robotic port scheme within the same intervention for renal malignances and concomitant prostatic or bladder cancers. To the best of our knowledge and vigorous literature search, this is the first study that comprehensively evaluates and reports all combined upper and lower urinary tract surgeries published so far. In carefully selected patients, thanks to multidisciplinary preoperative assessment and surgical planning a combined robotic approach can reduce the morbidity, complications, hospital admissions and the overall length of hospitalization.
