Feasibility and safety of robotic surgery for low rectal cancer combined with transanal total mesorectal excision

Purpose Laparoscopic surgery for low rectal cancer is often challenging. Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) and robotic surgery have been introduced to overcome the technical difficulties in laparoscopic surgery and achieve more favorable outcomes. Hybrid robotic surgery, which combines TaTME with the abdominal robotic approach, incorporates the advantages of each of these surgical techniques and might achieve less invasive and safer surgery. This study evaluated the safety and feasibility of hybrid robotic surgery with TaTME (hybrid TaTME). Methods We retrospectively reviewed 162 TaTME cases performed at our department from September 2016 to May 2022. Among them, 92 cases of conventional TaTME and 30 of hybrid TaTME were eligible. We used propensity score matching analysis (PSM) to adjust for patients’ characteristics and compared the short-term outcomes of the two treatment groups. Results Twenty-seven cases in each group were extracted using PSM. The operation time in hybrid TaTME was comparable to that in conventional TaTME. There was no significant difference in the postoperative hospital stay between the two groups. Other intra- and post-operative outcomes were also comparable between the two groups. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the two groups in the curative resection and recurrence rates. Conclusion Hybrid TaTME for low rectal cancer was as favorable as conventional TaTME in producing satisfactory short-term outcomes. However, furthermore, larger-scale studies conducted over longer study periods are needed to evaluate the validity of the findings.