How robotics has changed urologic oncologic surgery since 2000

Open surgery is faster for partial nephrectomy, radical prostatectomy, and radical cystectomy. Blood loss, blood transfusions, and length of stay, on the other hand, are lower for all robotic versus open urologic oncologic surgeries.

Those are among the findings of a meta-analysis examining how robotics has impacted the practice of major surgeries performed for urologic cancers. The data were presented by Inderbir S. Gill, MD, of the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, at the Society of Urologic Oncology annual meeting in Phoenix.

In this video, Dr. Gill discusses data comparing multiple parameters, including intraoperative, perioperative, oncologic, and functional outcomes of open versus robotic surgery. Financial outcomes and the penetrance of robotics into the specialty since 2000 are also outlined.

“The pendulum is clearly swinging and has swung in favor of robotic surgery,” Dr. Gill said. “About 85% of all prostatectomies in the United States, per the Premier database, are robotic. Sixty-six percent of partial nephrectomies are robotic. Thirty-three percent of radical cystectomies are robotic now; 10 years ago it was only 3%.”