Retrospective cohort study of safety and efficacy of robotic versus open liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma

Long-term oncologic outcomes of robotic surgery remain a hotly debated topic in surgical oncology, but sparse data have been published thus far. A retrospective cohort study of patients of three European and two US high-volume centers compared safety and efficacy of robotic liver resection (RLR) versus open liver resection (OLR) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). After propensity score matching 106 RLR patients were compared with 106 OLR patients. The RLR group had significantly longer operative time, but significantly shorter length of hospital stay, and a lower number of admission to the intensive care unit. Incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure was significantly lower in the RLR group, while the 90-day overall survival rate was comparable between the groups, as was the cumulative incidence of death due to tumor recurrence. The authors conclude that RLR performed at Westen high-volume centers is a safe and efficaceous treatment for HCC.