Journal List > J Korean Med Assoc > v.53(4) > 1042263

Song and Hyung: Robotic Surgery for Early Gastric Cancer

Abstract

Early gastric cancer (EGC) patients are annually increasing due to nationwide screening program. As long-term survival of EGC patients improved, the need for the surgical tool to improve the quality of life of the patient has risen, resulting in increased popularity of laparoscopic surgery. However, laparoscopic surgery has disadvantages such as limitation in vision and maneuverability, which has brought the invention of robotic surgical system. Robotic surgical system has merits over laparoscopic surgery in that it provides 3D visualization, endowrist with 7 degrees of freedom, and stable camera function. With these merits, the number of operations using robotic surgical system increased continually. Its method of surgery does not differ much from laparoscopic gastrectomy. Reports regarding the postoperative outcomes of robot gastrectomy so far showed that the result was no less satisfactory than those of laparoscopic surgery. However, robot surgical system has drawbacks of high cost and undefined long term postoperative results as of yet. The lack of a unique merit that can counterbalance the high cost is also a problem that has to be solved. And because the advantages of robot surgical system as a tool of minimally invasive surgery are distinct, additional randomized trials may have to be performed in order to define its merits over laparoscopic surgery.

Figures and Tables

Figure 1
Robot surgical system.
jkma-53-318-g001
Figure 2
Placement of robot surgical system in the OR.
jkma-53-318-g002

References

1. The Information Committee of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association. 2004 Nationwide Gastric Cancer Report in Korea. Journal of the Korean Gastric Cancer Association. 2007. 7:47–54.
2. Hyung WJ, Cheong JH, Kim J, Chen J, Choi SH, Noh SH. Application of minimally invasive treatment for early gastric cancer. J Surg Oncol. 2004. 85:181–186.
crossref
3. Hyung WJ, Lim JS, Song J, Choi SH, Noh SH. Laparoscopic spleen-preserving splenic hilar lymph node dissection during total gastrectomy for gastric cancer. J Am Coll Surg. 2008. 207:e6–e11.
crossref
4. Kitano S, Shiraishi N, Uyama I, Sugihara K, Tanigawa N. A multicenter study on oncologic outcome of laparoscopic gastrectomy for early cancer in Japan. Ann Surg. 2007. 245:68–72.
crossref
5. Kim MC, Jung GJ, Kim HH. Learning curve of laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with systemic lymphadenectomy for early gastric cancer. World J Gastroenterol. 2005. 11:7508–7511.
crossref
6. Jin SH, Kim DY, Kim H, Jeong IH, Kim MW, Cho YK, Han SU. Multidimensional learning curve in laparoscopy-assisted gastrectomy for early gastric cancer. Surg Endosc. 2007. 21:28–33.
crossref
7. Lee WJ. Robotics and gastrointestinal surgery. Korean J Gastroenterol. 2005. 46:427–432.
8. Song J, Oh SJ, Kang WH, Hyung WJ, Choi SH, Noh SH. Robot-assisted gastrectomy with lymph node dissection for gastric cancer: lessons learned from an initial 100 consecutive procedures. Ann Surg. 2009. 249:927–932.
crossref
9. Hashizume M, Sugimachi K. Robot-assisted gastric surgery. Surg Clin North Am. 2003. 83:1429–1444.
crossref
10. Anderson C, Ellenhorn J, Hellan M, Pigazzi A. Pilot series of robot-assisted laparoscopic subtotal gastrectomy with extended lymphadenectomy for gastric cancer. Surg Endosc. 2007. 21:1662–1666.
crossref
11. Patriti A, Ceccarelli G, Bellochi R, Bartoli A, Spaziani A, Di Zitti L, Casciola L. Robot-assisted laparoscopic total and partial gastric resection with D2 lymph node dissection for adenocarcinoma. Surg Endosc. 2008. 22:2753–2760.
crossref
12. Song J, Kang WH, Oh SJ, Hyung WJ, Choi SH, Noh SH. Role of robotic gastrectomy using da Vinci system compared with laparoscopic gastrectomy: initial experience of 20 consecutive cases. Surg Endosc. 2009. 23:1204–1211.
crossref
13. Kim MC, Heo GU, Jung GJ. Robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer: surgical techniques and clinical merits. Surg Endosc. 2009. 18 [e-pub].
crossref
TOOLS
Similar articles