Abstract Background: Gallstone disease is a common gastrointestinal disorder characterized by the formation of gallstones in the gallbladder. The rising incidence of diagnosed cases is largely due to increased diagnostic awareness and advances in surgical management. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is currently the gold-standard minimally invasive technique for gallbladder removal. Robotic-assisted cholecystectomy (RAC) has emerged as a novel alternative, utilizing robotic technology. This review compares the clinical outcomes, efficacy, and complication rates of LC and RAC. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature search was performed for studies published between 2012 and 2024 using PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library. Outcomes of interest included success and conversion rates, intraoperative and postoperative complications, operative time, length of hospital stay, and indicators of surgical effectiveness. A total of ten studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 1,031,919 patients. Results: Analysis revealed no significant differences between RAC and LC regarding hospital length of stay, postoperative recovery, or intraoperative complications. However, RAC was associated with longer operative durations and a higher rate of bile duct injury (0.7% for RAC vs. 0.2% for LC). Although the overall complication rates were low for both techniques, RAC demonstrated a higher incidence of certain complications, including incisional hernias. Conclusion: Despite offering technical benefits such as enhanced visualization and greater instrument precision, RAC does not demonstrate superior clinical outcomes compared with LC for the treatment of gallstone disease. Furthermore, the increased operative time and higher costs associated with RAC may limit its routine use in clinical practice.
Shrikant Vijay Bhagat (Thu,) studied this question.