Magnetic-Assisted Robotic and Laparoscopic Renal Surgery: Initial Clinical Experience with the Levita Magnetic Surgical System

Magnetic anchoring device assisted-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy versus conventional laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy: A retrospective cohort study

Background

Bariatric surgeries, including the sleeve gastrectomy, have been recognized as the most effectively treatment strategy for severe obesity. Magnetic devices have been successfully used in bariatric surgeries. Here, we intended to evaluate the safety and efficiency of magnetic anchoring device assisted-laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (MLSG), and to make a comparison of the short-term results between conventional laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (CLSG) and MLSG.

Methods

The retrospective cohort study was carried out by analyzing and summarizing the data from a database of routinely collected data. The cohort included the patients who underwent either CLSG (n = 120) or MLSG (n = 115) at a single center between January 2018 and December 2020 with a two-year follow-up. The effects of these two surgeries on the weight loss, resolution of comorbidities and quality of life (QOL) were analyzed.

Results

The two groups were similar in gender, age, body mass index, abdominal girth, as well as the type and proportion of comorbidities. And the cases in MLSG group had a markedly shorter time of operation (MLSG, 72.59 min vs. CLSG, 76.67 min; P = 0.003). Length of stay in hospital was significantly shorter in the MLSG group than that in the CLSG group (MLSG, 5.59 days vs. CLSG, 5.96 days; P = 0.016). Neither fatal event nor conversion to open surgery happened among all cases. There were no differences in terms of the postoperative complications between the two groups. Magnetic device-related mild hepatic lacerations occurred and were handled by hemostatic treatments in 3 cases. The QOL of patients in MLSG was better at 6-month after surgery, but there was no significant difference between the two groups at 1-year or 2-year after surgery.

Conclusion

Both MLSG and CLSG prove safe and effective, and the patients underwent MLSG have a shorter length of stay in hospital, and a better QOL during 6 months after surgery.

Initial Experience in Urological Surgery with a Novel Robotic Technology: Magnetic-Assisted Robotic Surgery in Urology

Introduction and objective: Magnetic-assisted robotic surgery (MARS) has been developed to maximize patient benefits of minimally invasive surgery while enhancing surgeon control and visualization. MARS platform (Levita Magnetics) comprises two robotic arms that provide control to an external magnetic controller and an off-the-shelf laparoscopic camera. Our aim was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the MARS platform in laparoscopic renal and adrenal procedure for the first time. Methods: This is a prospective, single-arm, open-label study (Clinical Trials Identifier: NCT05353777) including patients with renal or adrenal pathology analysis, submitted to laparoscopic procedure between April and June 2022. Patients were followed up to 30 days postoperatively. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were recorded. Polynomial regression was used to determine the learning curve for docking time. Results: Fifteen cases were performed using the MARS platform (three partial nephrectomies, five total nephrectomies for benign pathology analysis, four radical nephrectomies, and three adrenalectomies) corresponding to 10 women and 5 men (mean age, 55 years [18-77]; average body mass index, 29 cm/m2 [22-39]). No cases required conversion to open procedure and all patients were discharged on the first or second postoperative day. No complications or re-admissions were reported within the first 30 days. All oncologic cases had negative margins. Learning curve was achieved by the fourth case, diminishing docking time from 5.22 (2.6-11.5) to 2.68 minutes (2.1-3.8) (p = 0.002). The learning curve was fitted to a cubic regression (R2 = 0.714). Conclusion: This is the first clinical study demonstrating the safety and versatility of the MARS platform in urologic procedures. The robot was especially useful for tissue retraction, avoiding additional incisions and the need for a surgical assistant while increasing surgeon control and visualization. The learning curve was rapid, achieving a short docking time. MARS is a promising new technology that could be successfully evaluated in other surgeries.

Upper Urinary Tract Surgery Through Robotic Single-Port System Vs Multiport and Laparoendoscopic Single-Site Systems: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: We aimed to make a general comparison between the safety and feasibility of a novel robotic platform, da Vinci^® single-port (SP) system with conventional robotic multiport (MP) and laparoendoscopic single-site systems (da Vinci Xi or Si) in three upper urinary tract procedures including robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN), robot-assisted pyeloplasty (RAP), and robot-assisted adrenalectomy (RA). Materials and Methods: After systematical searching of the literature up to October 2022 in PubMed^®, Web of Science™, and the Cochrane Library and Scopus^® databases, we extracted and processed the data in eligible literature for operative time, warm ischemia time (WIT), morphine milligram equivalent (MME), postoperative complications, and positive surgical margins (PSMs). Results: A total of 752 patients who underwent robotic surgery for SP or MP from 11 articles were included in this meta-analysis. There was no statistically significant difference in operative time for either RAPN (standardized mean difference [SMD] -0.14, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.30 to 0.03) or RA (SMD -0.51, 95% CI -1.08 to 0.06). However, for RAP, SP can save operation time (SMD -0.73, 95% CI -1.24 to -0.22). The introduction of SP did not increase complications to any degree, including total complication (risk ratio [RR] 0.89, 95% CI 0.52-1.53), minor complication (RR 0.43, 95% CI 0.13-1.36), and major complication (RR 0.85, 95% CI 0.34-2.09), nor the incidence of PSMs (RR 1.04, 95% CI 0.54-1.99). It is worth noting that although the SP system increased WIT (SMD 0.44, 95% CI 0.26-0.62), it had the benefit of reducing intraoperative pain for RAPN with regard of MME (SMD -0.40, 95% CI -0.71 to -0.09). Conclusions: In terms of postoperative pain, SP robotic surgery is beneficial for RAPN but will make WIT prolonged. RAP is probably the most suitable upper urinary tract procedure for which SP is an option, which helps to shorten the surgery time and achieve a minimally invasive wound at the same time. Our study has been registered in PROSPERO (Registration No.: CRD42022350317).

Robotic Magnetic Surgery: Results From the First Prospective Clinical Trial

To evaluate a novel Magnetic Robotic Platform during reduced-port laparoscopic surgery in a prospective, multicenter clinical trial.

Background

Magnetic surgery has been developed to increase the benefits of minimally invasive surgery, with prior studies demonstrating its clinical benefits. Robotic-assisted surgery increases the surgeon's control over the instruments, offering less dependency on an assistant. The synergism of both techniques may escalate these individual benefits.

Methods

A prospective, multicenter, single-arm, open-label study was performed to assess the safety and performance of a robotic magnetic surgical system (Levita Robotic Platform). The investigational device was used during reduced-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic bariatric surgery. The primary endpoints evaluated were safety and feasibility. Patients were followed for 30 days post-procedure.

Results

Between May 2021 and December 2021, 30 patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery were recruited. There were 22 females and 8 males with a mean age of 39 years (22-69 years) and median body mass index of 33 kg/m2 (21.6-50.4 kg/m2). Procedures included 15 gastric sleeves, 14 cholecystectomies, and 1 Roux en-Y gastric bypass. The procedures were successfully performed by utilizing the robotic magnetic surgical system and a reduced-port technique in all 30 patients. No device-related serious adverse events were reported. The device provided adequate visualization and retraction in all cases.

Conclusions

This clinical trial shows for the first time that this novel Magnetic Robotic Platform is safe and feasible in reduced-port laparoscopic cholecystectomy and laparoscopic bariatric surgery. This robotic platform brings the benefits of magnetic surgery in terms of reduction of incisions plus increasing the control for the surgeon.