Comparison of efficacy and safety between robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic surgery for locally advanced mid-low rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: To some extent, robotic technique does offer certain benefits in rectal cancer surgery than laparoscopic one, while remains a topic of ongoing debate for rectal cancer patients who had undergone neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT).

Methods: Potential studies published until January 2024 were obtained from Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase and PubMed. Dichotomous and continuous variables were expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) with 95% their confidence intervals (CIs), respectively.