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McCarron FN, Yoshino O, Müller PC, Wang H, Wang Y, Ricker A, Mantha R, Driedger M, Beckman M, Clavien PA, Vrochides D, Martinie JB. Expanding the utility of robotics for pancreaticoduodenectomy: a 10-year review and comparison to international benchmarks in pancreatic surgery. Surg Endosc 2023; 37:9591-9600. [PMID: 37749202 DOI: 10.1007/s00464-023-10426-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Robotic pancreaticoduodenectomy (RPD) is an emerging alternative to open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD). Although RPD offers various theoretical advantages, it is used in less than 10% of all pancreaticoduodenectomies. The aim of this study was to report our 10-year experience and compare RPD outcomes with international benchmarks for OPD. METHODS A retrospective review of a prospectively maintained institutional database was performed of consecutive patients who underwent RPD between January 2011 and December 2021. Patients were categorized into low-risk and high-risk groups according to the selection criteria set by the benchmark study. Their outcomes were compared to the international benchmark cut off values. Outcomes were then evaluated over time to identify improvements in practice and establish a learning curve. RESULTS Of 201 RPDs, 36 were low-risk and 165 high-risk patients. Compared to the OPD benchmarks, outcomes of low-risk patients were within the cutoff values. High-risk patients were outside the cutoff for blood transfusions (26% vs. ≤ 23%), overall complications (78% vs. ≤ 73%), grade I-II complications (68% vs. ≤ 62%), and readmissions (22% vs ≤ 21%). Oncologic outcomes for high-risk patients were within benchmark cutoffs. Cases at the end of the learning curve included more pancreatic cancer (42% from 17%) and fewer low-risk patients (10% from 24%) than those at the beginning. After 41 RPD there was a decline in conversion rates and operative time. Between 95 and 143 cases operative time, transfusion rates, and LOS declined significantly. Complications did not differ over time. CONCLUSION RPD yields results comparable to the established benchmarks in OPD in both low- and high-risk patients. Along the learning curve, RPD evolved with the inclusion of more high-risk cases while outcomes remained within benchmarks. Addition of a robotic HPB surgery fellowship did not compromise outcomes. These results suggest that RPD may be an option for high-risk patients at specialized centers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances N McCarron
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA.
- Division of Hepatobiliary & Pancreas Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, 1025 Morehead Medical Dr., Suite 600, Charlotte, NC, 2820, USA.
| | - Osamu Yoshino
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Philip C Müller
- Department of Surgery, Swiss HPB and Transplantation Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Huaping Wang
- Department of Surgery, Carolinas Center for Surgical Outcomes, Wake Forest Center for Biomedical Informatics, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Yifan Wang
- Division of HPB and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Ansley Ricker
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Rohit Mantha
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Michael Driedger
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Michael Beckman
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - Pierre-Alain Clavien
- Department of Surgery, Swiss HPB and Transplantation Centre, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Dionisios Vrochides
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
| | - John B Martinie
- Division of HPB Surgery, Department of Surgery, Carolinas Medical Center, Atrium Health, Charlotte, NC, USA
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McCarron FN, Vrochides D, Martinie JB. Current progress in robotic hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery at a high-volume center. Ann Gastroenterol Surg 2023; 7:863-870. [PMID: 37927925 PMCID: PMC10623982 DOI: 10.1002/ags3.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been steady growth in the adoption of robotic HPB procedures world-wide over the past 20 years, but most of this increase has occurred only recently. Not surprisingly, the vast majority of robotics has been in the United States, with very few, select centers of adoption in Italy, South Korea, and Brazil, to name a few. We began our robotic HPB program in 2008, well before almost all other centers in the world, with the most notable exception of Giullianotti and colleagues. Our program began gradually, with smaller cases carefully selected to optimize the strengths of the original robotic platform and included complex biliary and pancreatic resections. We performed the first reported series of choledochojejunostomy for benign biliary strictures and first series of completion cholecystectomies. We began performing robotic distal pancreatectomies and longitudinal pancreaticojejunostomies, reporting our early experience for each of these procedures. Over time we progressed to robotic pancreaticoduodenectomies. Initially, these were performed with planned conversions until we were able to optimize efficiency. Now we have performed over 200 robotic whipples, reaching a 100% robotic completion rate by 2020. Finally, we have added robotic major hepatectomies, including resections for hilar cholangiocarcinoma to our repertoire. Since the program began, we have performed over 1600 robotic HPB cases. Outcomes from our program have shown superior lymph node harvest, lower DGE rates, shorter hospitalizations, and fewer rehab admissions with similar overall complications to open and laparoscopic procedures, signifying that over time a robotic HPB program is not only feasible but advantageous as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances N. McCarron
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas SurgeryCarolinas Medical CenterCharlotteNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Dionisios Vrochides
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas SurgeryCarolinas Medical CenterCharlotteNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - John B. Martinie
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreas SurgeryCarolinas Medical CenterCharlotteNorth CarolinaUSA
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