Published online Jun 7, 2020. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v26.i21.2831
Peer-review started: March 22, 2020
First decision: April 9, 2020
Revised: April 23, 2020
Accepted: May 13, 2020
Article in press: May 13, 2020
Published online: June 7, 2020
Radical resection is an important treatment method for hepatic echinococcosis. The posterosuperior segments of the liver remain the most challenging region for laparoscopic or robotic hepatectomy.
This study intended to retrospectively analyze the clinical data on robotic surgery for hepatic echinococcosis in difficult lesions from two centers in China and to explore the experience of performing robotic surgery for cystic and alveolar echinococcosis.
The aim of this study was to demonstrate the safety and preliminary experience of robotic radical resection of cystic and alveolar echinococcosis in posterosuperior liver segments.
A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with hepatic echinococcosis who underwent robotic surgery from September to December 2019.
All 5 patients successfully underwent robotic radical hepatectomy for hepatic echinococcosis, including total caudate lobectomy, hepatectomy of segment VII, total pericystectomy of segment VIII, and right hemihepatectomy, without conversion to laparotomy or perioperative deaths. The operation time was 225 min; the blood loss was 100 mL; and the postoperative hospital stay duration was 10 d. The Clavien-Dindo complication grade was grade I in 4 cases and grade II in 1 case. No recurrence of echinococcosis was found in any of the patients after 3 mo of follow-up.
This study suggested that robotic radical surgery for cystic and selected alveolar echinococcosis in difficult liver lesions is safe and feasible.
Robotic transabdominal approach can be an option for resection of cystic and selected alveolar echinococcosis located in the posterosuperior hepatic segments.