ArtiSential® laparoscopic cholecystectomy versus single-fulcrum laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Which minimally invasive surgery is better?

Abstract

Backgrounds/aims: In recent years, many minimally invasive techniques have been introduced to reduce the number of ports in laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), offering benefits such as reduced postoperative pain and improved cosmetic outcomes. ArtiSential^® is a new multi-degree-of-freedom articulating laparoscopic instrument that incorporates the ergonomic features of robotic surgery, potentially overcoming the spatial limitations of laparoscopic surgery. ArtiSential^® LC can be performed using only two ports. This study aims to compare the surgical outcomes of ArtiSential^® LC with those of single-fulcrum LC.

Methods: This retrospective study compared ArtiSential^® LC and single-fulcrum LC among LCs performed for gallbladder (GB) stones at the same center, analyzing the basic characteristics of patients; intraoperative outcomes, such as operative time, estimated blood loss, and intraoperative GB rupture; and postoperative outcomes, such as length of hospital stay, incidence of postoperative complications, and postoperative pain.

Results: A total of 88 and 63 patients underwent ArtiSential^® LC and single-fulcrum LC for GB stones, respectively. Analysis showed that ArtiSential^® LC resulted in significantly fewer cases of surgeries longer than 60 minutes (30 vs. 35 min, p = 0.009) and intraoperative GB ruptures (2 vs. 10, p = 0.007). In terms of postoperative outcomes, ArtiSential^® LC showed better results in the respective visual analog scale (VAS) scores immediately after surgery (2.59 vs. 3.73, p < 0.001), and before discharge (1.44 vs. 2.02, p = 0.01).

Conclusions: ArtiSential^® LC showed better results in terms of surgical outcomes, especially postoperative pain. Thus, ArtiSential^® LC is considered the better option for patients, compared to single-fulcrum LC.