Complications in robotic urological surgeries and how to avoid them: A systematic review

Enhancing Veress Needle Entry with Proximal Vibroacoustic Sensing for Automatic Identification of Peritoneum Puncture

Laparoscopic access, a critical yet challenging step in surgical procedures, often leads to complications. Existing systems, such as improved Veress needles and optical trocars, offer limited safety benefits but come with elevated costs. In this study, a prototype of a novel technology for guiding needle interventions based on vibroacoustic signals is evaluated in porcine cadavers. The prototype consistently detected successful abdominal cavity entry in 100% of cases during 193 insertions across eight porcine cadavers. The high signal quality allowed for the precise identification of all Veress needle insertion phases, including peritoneum puncture. The findings suggest that this vibroacoustic-based guidance technology could enhance surgeons' situational awareness and provide valuable support during laparoscopic access. Unlike existing solutions, this technology does not require sensing elements in the instrument's tip and remains compatible with medical instruments from various manufacturers.

A case of severe pulmonary embolism after total robotic hysterectomy despite venous thromboembolism prophylaxis as prescribed

INTRODUCTION

We report the case of a patient who developed a severe pulmonary embolus postoperatively despite perioperative venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis as prescribed.

PRESENTATION OF CASE

A 50-year-old female patient underwent a robotic total hysterectomy for uterine fibroids. Her perioperative VTE risk was assessed as moderate, and compression and intermittent air compression stockings were used postoperatively until the morning following the surgery. The surgery was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on postoperative day 4. On postoperative day 19, the patient experienced rapid dyspnea and was diagnosed with a severe pulmonary embolus.

DISCUSSION

Heparin, a tissue-type plasminogen activator, and a catecholamine were administered, and the patient recovered well.

CONCLUSION

VTE measures in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery are not well defined, and future thrombotic risk assessments specific to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery may be necessary.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic pelvic floor surgery: Review

Minimally invasive surgical techniques have become more common in pelvic floor reconstructive urogynaecological surgery, specifically, robotic-assisted pelvic floor surgery. Female pelvic floor anatomy is complex, and some repairs require highly experienced surgical skills that can be gained more easily using robotic-assisted surgery. A common application of the robotic platform in urogynaecological surgeries includes sacrocolpopexy, which has become the gold standard approach in the last decade for the correction of apical prolapse. Additional procedures include sacrohysteropexy, sacrocervicopexy, fistula repair, and complex procedures involving the bladder and other pelvic organs. Despite its increasing use and clear benefit in our field, data in the literature and, in particular, randomised controlled trials are sparse. This review provides an update, incorporating recently published literature and our personal experience in that field.

Complications of extraperitoneal robot-assisted radical prostatectomy in high-risk prostate cancer: A single high-volume center experience

Introduction

The role of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) in high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) has been debated over the years, but it appears safe and effective in selected patients. While the outcomes of transperitoneal RARP for high-risk PCa have been already widely investigated, data on the extraperitoneal approach are scarcely available. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate intra- and postoperative complications in a series of patients with high-risk PCa treated by extraperitoneal RARP (eRARP) and pelvic lymph node dissection. The secondary aim is to report oncological and functional outcomes.

Methods

Data of patients who underwent eRARP for high-risk PCa were prospectively collected from January 2013 to September 2021. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were recorded, as also perioperative, functional, and oncological outcomes. Intraoperative and postoperative complications were classified by employing Intraoperative Adverse Incident Classification by the European Association of Urology and the Clavien–Dindo classification, respectively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate a potential association between clinical and pathological features and the risk of complications.

Results

A total of 108 patients were included. The mean operative time and estimated blood loss were 183.5 ± 44 min and 115.2 ± 72.4 mL, respectively. Only two intraoperative complications were recorded, both grade 3. Early complications were recorded in 15 patients, of which 14 were of minor grade, and 1 was grade IIIa. Late complications were diagnosed in four patients, all of grade III. Body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m2, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) > 20 ng/mL, PSA density >0.15 ng/mL2, and pN1 significantly correlated with a higher rate of overall postoperative complications. Moreover, BMI >30 kg/m2, PSA >20 ng/mL, and pN1 significantly correlated with a higher rate of early complications, while PSA >20 ng/mL, prostate volume <30 mL, and pT3 were significantly associated with a higher risk of late complications. In multivariate regression analysis, PSA >20 ng/mL significantly correlated with overall postoperative complications, while PSA > 20 and pN1 correlated with early complications. Urinary continence and sexual potency were restored in 49.1%, 66.7%, and 79.6% of patients and in 19.1%, 29.9%, and 36.2% of patients at 3, 6, and 12 months, respectively.

Conclusions

eRARP with pelvic lymph node dissection in patients with high-risk PCa is a feasible and safe technique, resulting in only a few intra- and postoperative complications, mostly of low grade.

Positioning patients for robotic-assisted surgery: A qualitative study of operating room nurses' experiences

AIM

One of the challenges of robotic-assisted surgery is related to positioning of the patient on the operating table. Technological developments place increased demands on operating room nurses' competence to prevent positioning injuries and ensuring care quality. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to describe operating room nurses' experiences when positioning the patients for robotic-assisted surgery.

DESIGN

A descriptive qualitative design.

METHODS

Seven operating room nurses with experience in robotic-assisted surgery were included at a university hospital. Data were obtained through individual interviews and analysed using qualitative content analysis. The Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative research COREQ checklist was used.

RESULTS

We identified three categories, (a) patient positioning is challenging during robotic-assisted surgery, (b) operating room nurses take responsibility for patient positioning during robotic-assisted surgery, but teamwork is important and (c) operating room nurses aim to achieve safe patient positioning during robotic-assisted surgery.

Surgeons' requirements for a surgical support system to improve laparoscopic access

Creating surgical access is a critical step in laparoscopic surgery. Surgeons have to insert a sharp instrument such as the Veress needle or a trocar into the patient’s abdomen until the peritoneal cavity is reached. They solely rely on their experience and distorted tactile feedback in that process, leading to a complication rate as high as 14% of all cases. Recent studies have shown the feasibility of surgical support systems that provide intraoperative feedback regarding the insertion process to improve laparoscopic access outcomes. However, to date, the surgeons’ requirements for such support systems remain unclear. This research article presents the results of an explorative study that aimed to acquire data about the information that helps surgeons improve laparoscopic access outcomes. The results indicate that feedback regarding the reaching of the peritoneal cavity is of significant importance and should be presented visually or acoustically. Finally, a solution should be straightforward and intuitive to use, should support or even improve the clinical workflow, but also cheap enough to facilitate its usage rate. While this study was tailored to laparoscopic access, its results also apply to other minimally invasive procedures.

The Role of Humans in Surgery Automation

Innovation in healthcare promises unparalleled potential in optimizing the production, distribution, and use of the health workforce and infrastructure, allocating system resources more efficiently, and streamline care pathways and supply chains. A recent innovation contributing to this is robot-assisted surgeries (RAS). RAS causes less damage to the patient's body, less pain and discomfort, shorter hospital stays, quicker recovery times, smaller scars, and less risk of complications. However, introducing a robot in traditional surgeries is not straightforward and brings about new risks that conventional medical instruments did not pose before. For instance, since robots are sophisticated machines capable of acting autonomously, the surgical procedure's outcome is no longer limited to the surgeon but may also extend to the robot manufacturer and the hospital. This article explores the influence of automation on stakeholder responsibility in surgery robotization. To this end, we map how the role of different stakeholders in highly autonomous robotic surgeries is transforming, explore some of the challenges that robot manufacturers and hospital management will increasingly face as surgical procedures become more and more automated, and bring forward potential solutions to ascertain clarity in the role of stakeholders before, during, and after robot-enabled surgeries (i.e. a Robot Impact Assessment (ROBIA), a Robo-Terms framework inspired by the international trade system 'Incoterms', and a standardized adverse event reporting mechanism). In particular, we argue that with progressive robot autonomy, performance, oversight, and support will increasingly be shared between the human surgeon, the support staff, and the robot (and, by extent, the robot manufacturer), blurring the lines of who is responsible if something goes wrong. Understanding the exact role of humans in highly autonomous robotic surgeries is essential to map liability and bring certainty concerning the ascription of responsibility. We conclude that the full benefits the use of robotic innovations and solutions in surgery could bring to healthcare providers and receivers cannot be realized until there is more clarity on the division of responsibilities channeling robot autonomy and human performance, support, and oversight; a transformation on the education and training of medical staff, and betterment on the complex interplay between manufacturers, healthcare providers, and patients.

Pronounced haemodynamic changes during and after robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy: a prospective observational study

OBJECTIVES

Robotic-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy (RALP) is typically conducted in steep Trendelenburg position (STP). This study investigated the influence of permanent 45° STP and capnoperitoneum on haemodynamic parameters during and after RALP.

DESIGN

Prospective observational study.

SETTING

Haemodynamic changes were recorded with transpulmonary thermodilution and pulse contour analysis in men undergoing RALP under standardised anaesthesia.

PARTICIPANTS

Informed consent was obtained from 51 patients scheduled for elective RALP in a University Medical Centre in Germany.

INTERVENTIONS

Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, central venous pressure (CVP), Cardiac Index (CI), systemic vascular resistance (SVR), Global End-Diastolic Volume Index (GEDI), global ejection fraction (GEF), Cardiac Power Index (CPI) and stroke volume variation (SVV) were recorded at six time points: 20 min after induction of anaesthesia (T1), after insufflation of capnoperitoneum in supine position (T2), after 30 min in STP (T3), when controlling Santorini's plexus in STP (T4), before awakening in supine position (T5) and after 45 min in the recovery room (T6). Adverse cardiac events were registered intraoperatively and postoperatively.

RESULTS

All haemodynamic parameters were significantly changed by capnoperitoneum and STP during RALP and partly normalised at T6. CI, GEF and CPI were highest at T6 (CI: 3.9 vs 2.2 L/min/m²; GEF: 26 vs 22%; CPI: 0.80 vs 0.39 W/m²; p<0.001). CVP was highest at T4 (31 vs 7 mm Hg, p<0.001) and GEDI at T6 (819 vs 724 mL/m², p=0.005). Mean SVR initially increased (T2) but had decreased by 24% at T6 (p<0.001). SVV was highest at T5 (12 vs 9%, p<0.001). Two of the patients developed cardiac arrhythmia during RALP and one patient suffered postoperative cardiac ischaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

RALP led to pronounced perioperative haemodynamic changes. The combination of increased cardiac contractility and heart rate reflects a hyperdynamic situation during and after RALP. Anaesthesiologists should be aware of unnoticed pre-existing heart failure to worsen during STP in patients undergoing RALP.

The effectiveness of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in bladder cancer (Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System): A systematic review

Objective

To evaluate the role of the Vesical Imaging-Reporting and Data System (VI-RADS) score in the diagnostic pathway of bladder cancer.

Methods

A systemic search of the contemporary literature was performed in December 2019 using the Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), the Excerpta Medica dataBASE (EMBASE), and Web of Science databases focussing on all available articles on VI-RADS.

Results

Overall, six of 15 articles were included. All the available articles evaluated the ability of radiologists to use the VI-RADS score for discriminating non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) from muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). Considering a cut-off VI-RADS score of >2, the sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 78-91.9%, 85-91%.1, 69-78%, and 88-97.1%, respectively. Considering a VI-RADS score cut-off of >3, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 77-94.6%, 43.9-96.5%, 51.6-86%, and 63.7-93%, respectively. Good interobserver agreement was demonstrated in the evaluated studies with a κ score of 0.73-0.89. Only one study evaluated the utility of VI-RADS in determining the presence of MIBC in patients treated with transurethral resection of the bladder diagnosed with high-grade T1 before the second transurethral resection using a VI-RADS score cut-off of >2; the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 85%, 93.6%, 74.5%, and 96.6%, respectively.

Conclusion

The VI-RADS score, using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, showed excellent results in discriminating MIBC from NMIBC. Preliminary results have been reported for its use in patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer. These results need to be validated in high-quality real-world settings.

Abbreviations

DCE: dynamic contrast enhancement; DWI: diffusion-weighted imaging; (N)MIBC: (non-)muscle-invasive bladder cancer; mpMRI: multiparametric MRI; TURBT: transurethral resection of bladder tumour; (N)(P)PV: (negative) (positive) predictive value; SC: structural category; T2W: T2-weighted; VI-RADS: vesical imaging-reporting and data system.

Laparotomy or minimal invasive surgery in uterus transplantation: a comparison

Uterus transplantation (UTx) is the first available treatment for absolute uterine factor infertility, a condition due to absence of the uterus or presence of a non-functional uterus. The proof-of-concept of UTx as an infertility treatment for this group of patients occurred in 2014 in Sweden by the first birth after human UTx. That and subsequent cases of the Swedish trial were live-donor UTx procedures with laparotomy of both donor and recipient. Although results of the initial Swedish clinical UTx trial were very favorable in terms of take-home-baby rate, the drawback was the long duration (>10 h) of donor surgeries and associated long recovery periods. There exist three later publications, with uterus procurements from live donors by laparotomy with a range of surgical durations of 5.3 hours to 13 hours. Our collaborative Swedish-French team has initiated efforts to introduce minimal invasive surgery in one trial in Sweden and one in France. The principle of these UTx trials is to use modern concepts of robotic-assisted laparoscopy primarily in the live donor. There also exists a small number of published UTx procedures with donor surgery by partial conventional laparoscopy and one published case with total robotic-assisted laparoscopy procedure. This review discusses open versus minimal invasive surgery in relation to the accumulated knowledge in the field. Moreover, we propose some future directions for the development of this surgery in UTx.

Intraoperative peripheral nerve injury related to lithotomy positioning with steep Trendelenburg in patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery - A systematic review

AIMS

To examine the incidence of intraoperative peripheral nerve injury, symptoms, risk factors, functions, and quality of life in patients undergoing robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery to lithotomy positioning with steep Trendelenburg.

DESIGN

A systematic review.

DATA SOURCES

The Cochrane Library catalogue, PubMed, EMBASE, CINHAL and SveMed + databases were searched from January 2000 - February 2019.

REVIEW METHODS

Titles and abstracts were screened for inclusion. Full-text assessments of each paper were conducted by two reviewers. The quality of the included papers was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to synthesize the data.

RESULTS

Eleven quantitative studies were included with three themes: (a) incidence of intraoperative peripheral nerve injury; (b) upper extremity intraoperative peripheral nerve injury related to steep Trendelenburg positioning; and (c) lower extremity intraoperative peripheral nerve injury related to lithotomy positioning. The overall incidence of intraoperative peripheral nerve injury in robotic-assisted laparoscopic urologic, gynaecologic and colorectal surgery was 0.16%-10.0% and the symptoms appeared immediately after surgical procedures. Risk factors for intraoperative peripheral injury were prolonged operative time, high American Society of Anesthesiologists scores, comorbidities and high body mass index.

CONCLUSION

Intraoperative peripheral nerve injuries are rare, but occasionally serious when related to lithotomy positioning with steep Trendelenburg. Operating room nurses have a responsibility both for positioning patients and for being familiar with the technological developments that will influence the preoperative handling of patients.

IMPACT

This systematic review emphasizes the need for operating room nurses together with surgical team to have knowledge about mechanisms for injury, positioning, anatomy/physiology, and evaluation of risk factors to ensure that patients are not exposed for intraoperative peripheral nerve injuries. Increased robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery necessitates further research examining the incidence of intraoperative peripheral nerve injury related to positioning and how these affect patients' function and the quality of life.