Comparative study on safety and feasibility between robot splenectomy and laparoscopic splenectomy

Objective To explore the safety and feasibility of robot splenectomy. Methods 65 patients undergoing robotic or laparoscopic splenectomy at No.940 Hospital of Chinese people′s Liberation Army Joint Service Support Force from Jan 2015 to Sep 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. Results The operation time and total hospitalization cost of robot spleen resection group and laparoscopic splenectomy group were[(167±34) min vs.(123±24) min, t=8.554, P=0.00]and (73 002±21 009) yuan vs. (42 095±9 999) yuan, (t=6.484, P=0.00), respectively. In laparoscopy group, 3 cases were converted to laparotomy. In the subgroup of splenic hilum thickness ≥5 cm, the intraoperative bleeding volume of robot group and laparoscopic group was (145±67) ml vs. (263±180) ml, (t=-2.195, P=0.04). There were significant differences in VAS score (3±1) vs. (4±1), (t=2.175, P=0.04). Conclusion Robotic splenectomy is safe and feasible. For patients with splenomegaly, robot surgery has more minimally invasive advantages than laparoscopy, but it is expensive and time-consuming. Key words: Splenectomy; Robotics; Laparoscopes