Short-term outcomes of robot-assisted and conventional lung segmentectomy: a single-center retrospective comparative study

This retrospective single-center study evaluated and compared the short-term outcomes of robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) segmentectomy with those of conventional segmentectomy performed via thoracotomy or video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS). The primary objective was to assess the safety of RATS segmentectomy. Our findings demonstrated that RATS segmentectomy was found to be as safe as conventional segmentectomy, with shorter operation times and hospital stays. No significant differences were observed in intraoperative blood loss and rates of surgical complications. However, prolonged postoperative air leaks are a potential concern. Among simple segmentectomy cases, RATS still showed shorter operation time and hospital stay. The longer experience of the surgeons in the RATS group may be a reason for the shorter operation time in this group. Additionally, the use of preoperative transbronchial marking with indocyanine green dye and barium, and intraoperative identification of intersegmental boundaries using intravenously administered indocyanine green dye may contribute to shorter operation time. Further studies are warranted to clarify the long-term oncological outcomes.