Colorectal resections for malignancy: A pilot study comparing conventional freehand robot-assisted laparoscopic colectomy.

Background: Laparoscopic colectomy is widely accepted as a safe operation for colorectal cancer, but we have experienced resistance to the introduction of the FreeHand robotic camera holder to augment laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Aim: To compare the initial results between conventional and FreeHand robot-assisted laparoscopic colectomy in Trinidad and Tobago.

Methods: This was a prospective study of outcomes from all laparoscopic colectomies performed for colorectal carcinoma from November 29, 2021 to May 30, 2022. The following data were recorded: Operating time, conversions, estimated blood loss, hospitalization, morbidity, surgical resection margins and number of nodes harvested. All data were entered into an excel database and the data were analyzed using SPSS ver 20.0.

Results: There were 23 patients undergoing colectomies for malignant disease: 8 (35%) FreeHand-assisted and 15 (65%) conventional laparoscopic colectomies. There were no conversions. Operating time was significantly lower in patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic colectomy (95.13 ± 9.22 105.67 ± 11.48 min; = 0.045). Otherwise, there was no difference in estimated blood loss, nodal harvest, hospitalization, morbidity or mortality.

Conclusion: The FreeHand robot for colectomies is safe, provides some advantages over conventional laparoscopy and does not compromise oncologic standards in the resource-poor Caribbean setting.