The impact of robotics in liver surgery: A worldwide systematic review and short‐term outcomes meta‐analysis on 2,728 cases
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of non-randomized comparative studies
OpenAlex W3102387965 · doi:10.1002/jhbp.869
What was done
A PRISMA-guided systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate robotic liver surgery (RLS) compared to open or laparoscopic (LLS) approaches. Study quality was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Fixed- or random-effects models were used based on heterogeneity testing to evaluate short-term outcomes, resection type, etiology, and costs.
What was found
From 150 included manuscripts representing 2,728 RLS cases (more than 75% for malignancy), 38 comparative studies were meta-analyzed. RLS was associated with improved short-term outcomes compared to open surgery across most screened variables, though exact numeric values were not reported in the abstract. Compared to LLS, RLS showed advantages for major resections in operative time, hospital stay, and complication rates (specific effect estimates not reported). Cost analysis showed an increased cost per procedure of approximately US$5,000 for RLS.
Why it matters
This study provides a worldwide synthesis showing robotic liver surgery confers perioperative benefits over open surgery and select advantages over laparoscopy in major resections, but at a substantially higher procedural cost.
Limits
The comparative evidence derives from non-randomized observational studies subject to selection bias and confounding. The abstract reports no numerical effect sizes, confidence intervals, p-values, or long-term oncological outcomes.
Cited by
- supports The da Vinci robotic surgical system enables laparoscopic surgery that can reduce blood loss in procedures such as liver surgery compared to traditional open surgery.