Robotic technology in surgery; a classification system of soft tissue surgical robotic devices.

BACKGROUND: The field of robotic-assisted surgery is rapidly growing as many robotic surgical devices are in development and about to enter the market. Currently, there is no universally accepted language for labeling the different robotic systems. To facilitate this communication, we created what is, to our knowledge, the first classification of surgical robotic technologies that organizes and classifies surgical robots used for endoscopy, laparoscopy and thoracoscopy. METHODS: We compiled a list of surgical robots intended to be used for endoscopy, laparoscopy, and/or thoracoscopy by searching United States, European, Hong Kong, Japan, and Korean databases for approved devices. Devices showcased at the 2023 Annual Meeting for the Society of Robotic Surgery were added. We also systematically reviewed the literature for any existing surgical robotic classifications or categorizations. We then created a multidisciplinary committee of 8 surgeons and 2 engineers to construct a proposed classification of the devices included in our search. RESULTS: We identified 40 robotic surgery systems intended to be used for endoscopy, laparoscopy and/or thoracoscopy. The proposed classification organizes robotic devices with regard to architecture, port design, and configuration (modular carts, multi-arm integrated cart, table-attachable or arm-table integration). CONCLUSION: This 3-level classification of robotic surgical devices used for endoscopy, laparoscopy and/or thoracoscopy describes important characteristics of robotic devices systematically.

Intraoperative Measures to Reduce the Risk of COVID-19 Transmission During Minimally Invasive Procedures: A Systematic Review and Critical Appraisal of Societies' Recommendations.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus 2019 pandemic and the hypothetical risk of virus transmission through aerosolized CO2 or surgical smoke produced during minimally invasive surgery (MIS) procedures have prompted societies to issue recommendations on measures to reduce this risk. The aim of this systematic review is to identify, summarize and critically appraise recommendations from surgical societies on intraoperative measures to reduce the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission to the operative room (OR) staff during MIS. METHODS: Medline, Embase, and Google Scholar databases were searched using a search strategy or free terms. The search was supplemented with searches of additional relevant records on coronavirus 2019 resource websites from Surgical Associations and Societies. Recommendations published by surgical societies that reported on the intraoperative methods to reduce the risk of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission to the OR staff during MIS were also reviewed for inclusion. Expert opinion articles were excluded. A preliminary synthesis was performed of the extracted data to categorize and itemize the different types of recommendations. The results were then summarized in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS: Thirty-three recommendation were included in the study. Most recommendations were targeted to general surgery (13) and gynecology (8). Areas covered by the documents were recommendations on performance of laparoscopic/robotic surgery versus open approach (28 documents), selection of surgical staff (13), management of pneumoperitoneum (33), use of energy devices (20), and management of surgical smoke and pneumoperitoneum desufflation (33) with varying degree of consensus on the specific recommendations among the documents. CONCLUSIONS: While some of the early recommendations advised against the use of MIS, they were not strictly based on the available scientific evidence. After further consideration of the literature and of the well-known benefits of laparoscopy to the patient, later recommendations shifted to encouraging the use of MIS as long as adequate precautions could be taken to protect the safety of the OR staff. The release and implementation of recommendations should be based on evidence-based practices that allows health care systems to provide safe surgical and medical assistance.

Incidence, predictors, and economic burden of circular anastomotic complications in left-sided colorectal reconstructions involving manual circular staplers.

STUDY AIM: Manual circular staplers are widely used in colorectal surgery; however, limited literature exists examining complications related to circular anastomoses when such devices are used. The present study evaluated the incidence, predictors, and economic burden of circular anastomotic complications in left-sided colorectal reconstructions involving manual circular staplers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged ≥18 years who underwent hemicolectomy, low anterior resection, or sigmoidectomy between 1 October 2016 and 31 December 2018 were identified from the Premier Healthcare Database. Manual circular stapler use was identified from hospital administrative billing records. Circular anastomotic complications were defined as a composite endpoint of multiple circular stapler use (proxy for stapler failure) or other circular anastomotic complications (anastomotic leak, bleeding, device/surgical complications, infection, and transfusion). Multivariable analyses were used to model the associations between circular anastomotic complications and total hospital costs, length of stay, operating room time, and 30-, 60-, and 90-day readmission rates. RESULTS: A total of 13,167 patients met the study criteria, of whom 2,984 (22.7%) had circular anastomotic complications. Predictors of circular anastomotic complications included age, procedure type, provider region, and select patient comorbidities. As compared with those who did not, patients who suffered circular anastomotic complications had significantly higher adjusted total hospital costs ($26,924 vs. $18,748; p < .0001), length of stay (7.79 vs. 4.99 days; p < .0001), operating room time (280 vs. 239 min; p < .0001), non-home discharge status (9.63% vs. 4.61%; p < .0001), and all-cause readmission at 30 days (12.2% vs. 8.7%; p < .0001), 60 days (16.0% vs. 11.6%; p < .0001), and 90 days (18.5% vs. 13.4%; p < .0001). LIMITATIONS: The present study is limited by the observational nature and potential for measurement error that is inherent to administrative healthcare databases. CONCLUSIONS: In this analysis of patients undergoing left-sided colorectal reconstructions involving a manual circular stapler, circular anastomotic complications were associated with adverse economic consequences.

Assessment of a circular powered stapler for creation of anastomosis in left-sided colorectal surgery: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Circular staplers perform a critical function for creation of anastomoses in colorectal surgeries. Powered stapling systems allow for reduced force required by surgeons to fire the device and may provide advantages for creating a secure anastomosis. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a novel circular powered stapler in a post-market setting, during left-sided colectomy procedures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive subjects underwent left-sided colorectal resections that included anastomosis performed with the ECHELON CIRCULAR™ Powered Stapler (ECP). The primary endpoint was the frequency in which a stapler performance issue was observed. Secondary endpoints included evaluation of ease of use of the device via a surgeon satisfaction questionnaire, and monitoring/recording of procedure-related adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 168 anastomoses were performed with the ECP. Surgical approaches included robotic-assisted (n = 74, 44.0%), laparoscopic (n = 71, 42.3%), open (n = 20, 11.9%), and hand-assisted minimally invasive (n = 3, 1.8%) procedures. There were 22 occurrences of device performance issues in 20 (11.9%) subjects during surgery. No positive intraoperative leak tests were observed, and only 1 issue was related to a procedure-related AE or surgical complication, which was an instance of incomplete surgical donut necessitating re-anastomosis. Postoperative anastomotic leaks were experienced in 4 (2.4%) subjects. Clavien-Dindo classification of all AEs indicated that 92.0% were Grades I or II. Participating surgeons rated the ECP as easier to use compared to previously used manual circular staplers in 85.7% of procedures. CONCLUSION: The circular powered stapler exhibited few clinically relevant performance issues, an overall favorable safety profile, and ease of use for creation of left-sided colon anastomoses.

Comparative Effectiveness Assessment of Two Powered Surgical Stapling Platforms in Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: A Retrospective Matched Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare outcomes between the two latest innovations in powered stapling technology, the ECHELON FLEX™ GST system (GST) and the Signia™ Stapling System (SIG), among patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy for obesity. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Using the Premier Healthcare Database of US hospital discharge records, we selected patients undergoing inpatient sleeve gastrectomy with dates of surgical admission between March 1, 2017 (SIG launch), and December 31, 2018. Outcomes measured during the surgical admission included in-hospital hemostasis-related complications (bleeding/transfusion; primary outcome), leak, total hospital costs, length of stay (LOS), and operating room time; 30-, 60-, and 90-day all-cause inpatient readmissions were also examined. We used 1:1 cardinality matching to balance the GST and SIG groups on numerous patient and hospital/provider characteristics, allowing a maximum standardized mean difference (SMD) ≤0.05 for all matching covariates. Generalized estimating equations (GEE) accounting for hospital-level clustering were used to compare the study outcomes between the GST and SIG groups. RESULTS: Of the 5573 identified cases, there were 491 patients in each group (982 total) after matching. The observed incidence proportion of hemostasis-related complications during the surgical admission was lower in the GST group as compared with the SIG group (3 events/491 [0.61%] vs 11 events/491 [2.24%]; odds ratio [SIG=reference] = 0.28, 95% CI=0.13-0.60, P=0.0012). Differences between the GST and SIG groups were not statistically significant for leak, total hospital costs, LOS, OR time, and all-cause inpatient readmission at 30, 60, and 90 days. CONCLUSION: In this retrospective study of 982 matched patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy, the ECHELON FLEX™ GST system was associated with a lower rate of hemostasis-related complications as compared with the Signia™ Stapling System. Further controlled prospective studies are needed to confirm the validity of this finding.

Evaluation of a Powered Vascular Stapler in Video-Assisted Thoracic Surgery Lobectomy.

BACKGROUND: A narrow-profile powered vascular stapler (PVS) was developed to provide superior access and precise staple placement in thoracic procedures. The objective of this study was to determine if the PVS would yield an equivalent rate of hemostatic interventions compared with standard of care (SOC) staplers in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomized, controlled, multicenter study was conducted comparing PVS with SOC staplers in lobectomies performed for non-small cell lung cancer. The primary performance endpoint was the incidence of intraoperative hemostatic interventions, and the primary safety endpoint was the frequency of postoperative bleeding-related interventions. RESULTS: A total of 98 subjects participated in the SOC group and 103 in the PVS group. Rates of intraoperative hemostatic interventions were 5.3% and 8.3% for the SOC and PVS groups, respectively. These rates were not statistically different (P = 0.137), although the upper bound of the 95% confidence interval for the difference in intervention rates between PVC and SOC exceeded a predefined 3% criterion for equivalence. Simple compressions were performed more frequently in the PVS subjects, which accounted for the higher intervention rate in this group. Postoperative interventions for bleeding were required in one SOC subject (1.0%) and one subject from the PVS group (0.9%). Procedure-related adverse events occurred in 21 (21.9%) SOC subjects and 23 (21.9%) PVS subjects, with no adverse events related to use of the study devices. CONCLUSIONS: The PVS exhibited similar overall safety and effectiveness to SOC staplers in video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy.

A Novel, Easy-to-Use Staple Line Reinforcement for Surgical Staplers.

BACKGROUND: Staple line reinforcement (SLR) is a popular tool used by surgeons to increase staple line strength and improve peri-operative hemostasis. However, currently marketed buttress materials require special attention in attachment to the staple anvil and cartridge and may come loose during typical maneuvering of stapling procedures. We have evaluated a new SLR that has an attachment material that affixes buttress across the entire anvil and cartridge face to prevent slipping, twisting, sliding and/or bunching. METHODS: In benchtop and preclinical testing, the new buttress material (ECHELON ENDOPATH™ Staple Line Reinforcement) was compared to a commercially available SLR for physical characteristics, including strength, absorption, security on the anvil and cartridge during stapler manipulation, impact on the tissue healing response and tissue abrasion. The two SLR's were also compared to a staple line without buttress for hemostasis. RESULTS: The new SLR was 180% stronger initially and maintained a greater strength for up to 14 days of exposure to an in vitro solution (p≤0.001), even though it was lighter and exhibited a faster rate of degradation. The new buttress material maintained complete adherence to the anvil and cartridge throughout tissue manipulation, whereas the commercial product lost substantial coverage in 72% of samples. Both SLR's provided superior hemostasis to the non-buttress control, with minimal impact on tissue healing or abrasion. CONCLUSION: Because the new buttress material comes with attachment material affixed across the entire anvil and cartridge face of the stapler and maintains coverage during manipulations, it should be much easier to use. The physical characteristics of the new SLR were as good as or better than current product that requires the buttress to be applied to the cartridge and anvil. In addition, the new SLR is similar in hemostasis to standard products and superior to stapling without the use of buttress. Further research is needed to determine whether these preclinical benefits carry over into a clinical setting.

Surgery for Cushing's syndrome: an historical review and recent ten-year experience.

BACKGROUND: Cushing's syndrome (CS), due to multiple etiologies, is a disorder associated with the ravages of cortisol excess. The purpose of this review article is to provide a historical synopsis of surgery for CS, review a recent 10-year period of operative management at a tertiary care facility, and to outline a practical approach to diagnosis and management. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1996 to 2005, 298 patients underwent 322 operative procedures for CS at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. A retrospective chart review was carried out. Data was gathered regarding demographics, preoperative assessment, procedures performed, and outcomes. Data are presented as counts and percentages. Five-year survival rates were calculated where applicable by the Kaplan-Meier method. Statistical analysis was carried out with SAS, version 9 (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC). RESULTS: Two-hundred thirty-one patients (78%) had ACTH-dependent CS and 67 patients (22%) had ACTH-independent CS. One-hundred ninety-six patients (66%) had pituitary-dependent CS and 35 patients (12%) had ectopic ACTH syndrome. Fifty-four patients (18%) had cortisol-secreting adenomas, 10 patients (3%) had cortisol-producing adrenocortical carcinomas, and 1% had other causes. Cure rates for first time pituitary operations (transsphenoidal, sublabial, and endonasal) were 80% and 55% for reoperations. Most benign adrenal processes could be managed laparoscopically. Five-year survival rates (all causes) were 90%, 51%, and 23% for adrenocortical adenomas, ectopic ACTH syndrome, and adrenocortical carcinomas, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery for CS is highly successful for pituitary-dependent CS and most ACTH-independent adrenal causes. Bilateral total adrenalectomy can also provide effective palliation from the ravages of hypercortisolism in patients with ectopic ACTH syndrome and for those who have failed transsphenoidal surgery. Unfortunately, to date, adrenocortical carcinomas are rarely cured. Future successes with this disease will likely depend on a better understanding of tumor biology, more effective adjuvant therapies and earlier detection. Clearly, IPSS, advances in cross-sectional imaging, along with developments in transsphenoidal and laparoscopic surgery, have had the greatest impact on today's management of the complex patient with CS.