‘Offer robotic operations to boost recovery time’

PATIENTS due to have major abdominal operations should be offered the option of robotic surgery, researchers said, after a study showed such procedures led to quicker recovery and reduced time in hospital.

Patients who had robot-assisted bladder cancer surgery recovered faster and were sent home sooner than those who had open surgery, UK experts found.

Robotic surgery reduced the chance of readmission by half (52%), and revealed a 77% reduction in the prevalence of blood clots, when compared to patients who had open surgery, the study suggested.

Researchers involved in what they described as a first-of-its kind clinical trial, said their findings challenged the idea that open surgery is the “gold standard” for major operations.

The trial, led by scientists at University College London (UCL) and the University of Sheffield, ran from March 2017 to March 2020 and involved 29 surgeons at nine UK hospital trusts. A total of 338 patients with non-metastatic bladder cancer were split into two groups, with 169 patients having robot-assisted bladder removal and reconstruction, and 169 patients having open surgery.

Researchers found that, on average, the robot-assisted group stayed eight days in hospital, compared to 10 days for the open surgery group.

Readmittance to hospital within 90 days of surgery was also reduced, they said, at 21% for the robot-assisted group and 32% for those who had open surgery.

Open surgery involves a surgeon working directly on a patient and involves large incisions in the skin and muscle, but robot-assisted surgery sees surgeons guide minimally invasive instruments remotely.

Scientists behind the study said it provides the strongest evidence so far of the patient benefit of robotassisted surgery.