Efficacy and prognostic analysis of carbon nanotracers combined with the da Vinci robot in the treatment of esophageal cancer

BACKGROUND Traditional methods cannot clearly visualize esophageal cancer(EC)tumor contours and metastases,which limits the clinical application of da Vinci robotassisted surgery.AIM To investigate the efficacy of the da Vinci robot in combination with nanocarbon lymph node tracers in radical surgery of EC.METHODS In total,104 patients with early-stage EC who were admitted to Liuzhou worker's Hospital from January 2020 to June 2023 were enrolled.The patients were assigned to an observation group(n=52),which underwent da Vinci robot-assisted minimally invasive esophagectomy(RAMIE)with the intraoperative use of nanocarbon tracers,and a control group(n=52),which underwent traditional surgery treatment.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss,postoperative drainage tube indwelling time,hospital stay,number of lymph nodes dissected,incidence of complications,and long-term curative effects were comparatively analyzed.The postoperative stress response C-reactive protein(CRP),cortisol,epinephrine(E)and inflammatory response interleukin(IL)-6,IL-8,IL-10,and tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-α)were evaluated.RESULTS Compared with the control group,the observation group had significantly lower postoperative CRP,cortisol,and E levels(P<0.05)with a milder inflammatory response,as indicated by lower IL-6,IL-10,and TNF-αlevels(P<0.05).Patients who underwent RAMIE had less intraoperative blood loss and shorter operation times and hospital stays than those who underwent traditional surgery.The average number of dissected lymph nodes,time of lymph node dissection,and mean smallest lymph node diameter were all significantly lower in the observation group(P<0.05).The rate of postoperative complications was 5.77%in the observation group,significantly lower than the 15.38%observed in the control group.Furthermore,the lymphatic metastasis rate,reoperation rate,and 12-and 24-month cumulative mortality in the observation group were 1.92%,0%,0%,and 0%,respectively,all of which were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The treatment of EC using the da Vinci robot combined with nanocarbon lymph node tracers can achieve good surgical outcomes and demonstrates promising clinical applications.

Da Vinci robot-assisted pancreato-duodenectomy in a patient with situs inversus totalis:A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND Situs inversus totalis(SIT)is an extremely rare congenital malformation characterized by mirror displacement of the thoracoabdominal organs such as the heart,liver,spleen,and stomach.Herein,we describe a patient with SIT complicated with cholangiocarcinoma who underwent successful pancreaticoduodenectomy with the assistance of a da Vinci robot.CASE SUMMARY A 58-year-old female presented to the hospital with paroxysmal pain in her left upper abdomen,accompanied by jaundice and staining of the sclera as chief complaints.Imaging examination detected a mass at the distal end of the common bile duct,with inverted thoracic and abdominal organs.Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography forceps biopsy revealed the presence of a well-differentiated adenocarcinoma.The patient successfully underwent robotic-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy;the operation lasted 300 min,the intraoperative blood loss was 500 mL,and there were no intraoperative and postoperative complications.CONCLUSION SIT is not directly related to the formation of cholangiocarcinoma.Detailed preoperative imaging examination is conducive to disease diagnosis and also convenient for determining the feasibility of tumor resection.Robot-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy for SIT complicated with cholangiocarcinoma provides a safe,feasible,minimally invasive,and complication-free alternative with adequate preoperative planning combined with meticulous intraoperative procedures.

Meta-analysis of robotic and laparoscopic surgery for treatment of rectal cancer

AIM: To conduct a meta-analysis to determine the relative merits of robotic surgery (RS) and laparoscopic surgery (LS) for rectal cancer. METHODS: A literature search was performed to identify comparative studies reporting perioperative outcomes for RS and LS for rectal cancer. Pooled odds ratios and weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated using either the fixed effects model or random effects model. RESULTS: Eight studies matched the selection criteria and reported on 661 subjects, of whom 268 underwent RS and 393 underwent LS for rectal cancer. Compared the perioperative outcomes of RS with LS, reports of RS indicated favorable outcomes considering conversion(WMD: 0.25; 95% CI: 0.11-0.58; P = 0.001). Meanwhile, operative time (WMD: 27.92, 95% CI: -13.43 to 69.27; P = 0.19); blood loss (WMD: -32.35, 95% CI: -86.19 to 21.50; P = 0.24); days to passing flatus (WMD: -0.18, 95% CI: -0.96 to 0.60; P = 0.65); length of stay (WMD: -0.04; 95% CI: -2.28 to 2.20; P = 0.97); complications (WMD: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.71-1.55; P = 0.82) and pathological details, including lymph nodes harvested (WMD: 0.41, 95% CI: -0.67 to 1.50; P = 0.46), distal resection margin (WMD: -0.35, 95% CI: -1.27 to 0.58; P = 0.46), and positive circumferential resection margin (WMD: 0.54, 95% CI: 0.12-2.39; P = 0.42) were similar between RS and LS. CONCLUSION: RS for rectal cancer is superior to LS in terms of conversion. RS may be an alternative treatment for rectal cancer. Further studies are required.

The current status of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

Robot-assisted radical prostatectomy （RARP） is a rapidly evolving technique for the treatment of localized prostate cancer. In the United States, over 65% of radical prostatectomies are robot-assisted, although the acceptance of this technology in Europe and the rest of the world has been somewhat slower. This article reviews the current literature on RARP with regard to oncological, continence and potency outcomes-the so-called ＇trifecta＇. Preliminary data appear to show an advantage of RARP over open prostatectomy, with reduced blood loss, decreased pain, early mobilization, shorter hospital stay and lower margin rates. Most studies show good postoperative continence and potency with RARP; however, this needs to be viewed in the context of the paucity of randomized data available in the literature. There is no definitive evidence to show an advantage over standard laparoscopy, but the fact that this technique has reached parity with laparoscopy within 5 years is encouraging. Finally, evolving techniques of single-port robotic prostatectomy, laser- guided robotics, catheter-free prostatectomy and image-guided robotics are discussed.

Performing robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving gastrectomy for early gastric cancer:A case series of initial experience

BACKGROUND Pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving gastrectomy(PPG)is a function-preserving surgery for early gastric cancer(GC)that has gained considerable interest in the recent years.The operative technique performed using the Da Vinci Xi robot system is considered ideal for open and laparoscopic surgery.AIM To introduce Da Vinci Xi robot-assisted PPG(RAPPG)-based operative procedure and technical points as well as report the initial experience based on the clinical pathology data of eight cases of early GC.METHODS Da Vinci Xi robot-assisted pylorus and vagus nerve-preserving gastrectomy(RAPPG)was performed for 11 consecutive patients with middle GC from December 2020 to July 2021.Outcome measures were postoperative morbidity,operative time,blood loss,number of lymph nodes harvested,postoperative hospital stay,time to first flatus,time to diet,and resection margins.RESULTS Eight of the 11 patients who were pathologically diagnosed with early GC were enrolled in a retrospective study to assess the feasibility and safety of RAPPG.The mean operative time,mean blood loss,mean number of lymph nodes harvested,length of preserved pylorus canal,distal margin,and proximal margin were 330.63±47.24 min,57.50±37.70 mL,18.63±10.57,3.63±0.88 cm,3.50±1.31 cm,and 3.63±1.19 cm,respectively.None of the cases required conversion to laparotomy.Postoperative complications occurred in two(25.0%)patients.Postoperative complications were hyperamylasemia and gastric stasis in one case and incision infection in the other.Time to first flatus was 3.75±2.49 d after the operation,andpostoperative hospital stay was 10.13±4.55 d.CONCLUSIONThe core technique in the Da Vinci Xi RAPPG is lymph node dissection and the anatomic methodof the nerve.Robotic surgical procedures are feasible and safe.With the progress of surgicaltechnology,optimization of medical insurance structure,and emergence of evidence-basedmedicine,automated surgery systems will have a broad application in clinical treatment.