Published online Jun 21, 2023. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v29.i23.3715
Peer-review started: March 16, 2023
First decision: April 21, 2023
Revised: April 29, 2023
Accepted: May 22, 2023
Article in press: May 22, 2023
Published online: June 21, 2023
Processing time: 92 Days and 0.1 Hours
Robotic surgery is a cutting-edge minimally invasive technique that overcomes many shortcomings of laparoscopic techniques, yet few studies have evaluated the use of robotic surgery to treat Hirschsprung’s disease (HSCR).
To analyze the feasibility and medium-term outcomes of robotic-assisted proctosigmoidectomy (RAPS) with sphincter- and nerve-sparing surgery in HSCR patients.
From July 2015 to January 2022, 156 rectosigmoid HSCR patients were enrolled in this multicenter prospective study. Their sphincters and nerves were spared by dissecting the rectum completely from the pelvic cavity outside the longitudinal muscle of the rectum and then performing transanal Soave pull-through procedures. Surgical outcomes and continence function were analyzed.
No conversions or intraoperative complications occurred. The median age at surgery was 9.50 months, and the length of the removed bowel was 15.50 ± 5.23 cm. The total operation time, console time, and anal traction time were 155.22 ± 16.77, 58.01 ± 7.71, and 45.28 ± 8.15 min. There were 25 complications within 30 d and 48 post-30-d complications. For children aged ≥ 4 years, the bowel function score (BFS) was 17.32 ± 2.63, and 90.91% of patients showed moderate-to-good bowel function. The postoperative fecal continence (POFC) score was 10.95 ± 1.04 at 4 years of age, 11.48 ± 0.72 at 5 years of age, and 11.94 ± 0.81 at 6 years of age, showing a promising annual trend. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, BFS, and POFC scores related to age at surgery being ≤ 3 mo or > 3 mo.
RAPS is a safe and effective alternative for treating HSCR in children of all ages; it offers the advantage of further minimizing damage to sphincters and perirectal nerves and thus providing better continence function.
Core Tip: We present the largest series of patients with Hirschsprung’s disease treated with robotic-assisted proctosigmoidectomy (RAPS). RAPS is a safe and effective alternative for treating Hirschsprung’s disease in children of all ages. It offers the advantage of further minimizing damage to sphincters and perirectal nerves and thus providing better fecal function.