A meta-analysis of five studies involving 629 patients compared robotic radical cholecystectomy (RRC) to open radical cholecystectomy (ORC) for gallbladder cancer. The analysis found that patients who had robotic surgery experienced fewer major complications, less pain (lower VAS scores), less blood loss during surgery, and shorter hospital stays. However, there were no significant differences in mortality, overall complications, surgery time, number of lymph nodes removed, or rates of complete tumor removal (R0 resection).
Survival outcomes were also similar between the two groups. The 3-year and 5-year survival rates, as well as disease-free survival, showed no significant differences. This suggests that robotic surgery does not compromise long-term outcomes compared to open surgery.
It is important to note that these findings come from observational studies, not randomized controlled trials. The studies used propensity-score matching to reduce bias, but the results should be interpreted with caution. The authors call for further randomized trials to confirm these benefits.
Overall, robotic surgery appears to be a safe and effective option for gallbladder cancer, offering potential short-term advantages without sacrificing long-term survival.
