The da Vinci single-port (SP) system has been used in various surgical fields, including colorectal surgery. However, limited experience has been reported on its safety and feasibility. This study aims to evaluate the short-term outcomes of SP robotic surgery for the treatment of rectal cancer compared with multiport (MP) robotic surgery.
Rectal cancer patients who underwent curative resection in 2020 were reviewed. A total of 43 patients underwent robotic total mesorectal excision (TME), of which 26 (13 in each group, SP TME vs. MP TME) were included in the case-matched cohort for analysis. Intraoperative and postoperative outcomes and pathological results were compared between the 2 groups.
Median tumor height was similar between the 2 groups (SP TME vs. MP TME: 5.9 cm [range, 2.2–9.6 cm] vs. 6.7 cm [range, 3.4–10.0 cm], P = 0.578). Preoperative chemoradiotherapy was equally performed (38.5%). The median estimated blood loss was less (20.0 mL [range, 5.0–20.0 mL] vs. 30.0 mL [range, 20.0–30.0 mL], P = 0.020) and the median hospital stay was shorter (7 days [range, 6–8 days] vs. 8 days [range, 7–9 days], P = 0.055) in the SP TME group. Postoperative complications did not differ (SP TME vs. MP TME: 7.7% vs. 23.1%, P = 0.587). One patient in the SP TME group and 3 in the MP TME group experienced anastomotic leakage.