[Robot assisted Frykman-Goldberg procedure. Case report].

Background: Rectal prolapse is defined as the protrusion of the rectal wall through the anal canal; with a prevalence of less than 0.5%. The most frequent symptoms include pain, incomplete defecation sensation with blood and mucus, fecal incontinence and/or constipation. The surgical approach can be perineal or abdominal with the tendency for minimal invasion. Robot-assisted procedures are a novel option that offer technique advantages over open or laparoscopic approaches.

Case Report: 67 year-old female, who presented with rectal prolapse, posterior to an episode of constipation, that required manual reduction, associated with transanal hemorrhage during defecation and occasional fecal incontinence. A RMI defecography was performed that reported complete rectal and uterine prolapse, and cystocele. A robotic assisted Frykman-Goldberg procedure wass performed.

Discussion: There are more than 100 surgical procedures for rectal prolapse treatment. We report the first robot assisted procedure in Mexico. Robotic assisted surgery has the same safety rate as laparoscopic surgery, with the advantages of better instrument mobility, no human hand tremor, better vision, and access to complicated and narrow areas.

Conclusion: Robotic surgery as the surgical treatment is a feasible, safe and effective option, there is no difference in recurrence and function compared with laparoscopy. It facilitates the technique, improves nerve preservation and bleeding. Further clinical, prospective and randomized studies to compare the different minimal invasive approaches, their functional and long term results for this pathology are needed.