In recent years,
robotic-assisted surgery has demonstrated remarkable progress as a minimally invasive procedure for
colorectal cancer. While there have been fewer studies investigating
robotic-assisted surgery for the treatment of
colon cancer than
rectal cancer, evidence regarding robotic-assisted
colectomy has been accumulating due to increasing use of the procedure. Robotic-assisted
colectomy generally requires a long
operative time and involves high costs. However, as evidence is increasingly supportive of its higher accuracy and less invasive nature compared to laparoscopic
colectomy, the procedure is anticipated to improve the ratio of conversion to
laparotomy and accelerate postoperative recovery.
Robotic-assisted surgery has also been suggested for a specific level of effectiveness in manipulative procedures, such as intracorporeal anastomosis, and is increasingly indicated as a less problematic procedure compared to conventional laparoscopy and open surgery in terms of long-term oncological outcomes. Although robotic-assisted
colectomy has been widely adopted abroad, only a limited number of institutions have been using this procedure in Japan. Further accumulation of experience and studies investigating surgical outcomes using this approach are required in Japan.