Robotic versus laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision using a cranial approach: A propensity score-matched retrospective cohort study

Abstract Background This retrospective study compared the surgical outcomes of robotic and laparoscopic right hemicolectomies using the cranial approach for complete mesocolic excision (CME) and central vascular ligation (CVL). Methods Patients who underwent right hemicolectomy with either robotic CME (R-CME, 48 patients) or laparoscopic CME (L-CME, 123 patients) between April 2016 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed using propensity score matching (PSM). Results After matching, the R-CME and L-CME groups each included 40 patients. The R-CME group had less intraoperative blood loss (P = 0.007), a shorter median time to first flatus (P < 0.001), and a shorter median postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.012) than the L-CME group. The other surgical outcomes were not significantly different between the two groups. Conclusions R-CME using a cranial approach demonstrated the advantages of reduced intraoperative blood loss without prolonging the operative time and improved surgical outcomes, including quicker recovery of bowel function and earlier postoperative discharge, compared to L-CME.