Robotic gastrectomy not effective in reducing infections risk in gastric cancer surgery: JAMA

Japan: Robotic gastrectomy (RG) for stomach cancer may not be effective for reducing the risk of intra-abdominal infectious complications such as pancreatic fistula, leakage, and abscess. Dr. Toshiyasu Ojimaand colleagues discovered no reduction in intra-abdominal infectious problems with RG versus LG for gastric cancer in this research.

The objective of this study was to compare the short-term surgical results of RG and LG in patients with gastric cancer, and the findings of this work were published in the journal JAMA Surgery on 1st September 2021.

Between April 1, 2018, and October 31, 2020, 241 patients with resectable gastric cancer (clinical stages I-III) were included in this phase 3 prospective superiority randomized clinical study of RG versus LG for complication reduction. 

The primary endpoint was the incidence of postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications. Secondary endpoints were the incidence of any complications, surgical results, postoperative courses, and oncologic outcomes.  

 This study enrolled 241 patients, with 236 patients in the modified intention-to-treat population (150 men [63.6%]; mean age, 70.8 years). 

In conclusion, the above study shows that robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer patients does not minimize postoperative intra-abdominal problems.

Reference:

Ojima, T., Nakamura, M., Hayata, K., Kitadani, J., Katsuda, M., Takeuchi, A., Tominaga, S., Nakai, T., Nakamori, M., Ohi, M., Kusunoki, M., & Yamaue, H. (2021). Short-term Outcomes of Robotic Gastrectomy vs Laparoscopic Gastrectomy for Patients With Gastric Cancer. JAMA Surgery. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamasurg.2021.3182