Robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection for lower rectal cancer: short-term outcomes in 50 consecutive patients

The goal of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection for patients with advanced lower rectal cancer. Between 2012 and 2013, 50 consecutive patients underwent robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer in Shizuoka Cancer Center Hospital. Perioperative outcomes including operative time, operative blood loss, length of stay, postoperative complications, and histopathological data were collected prospectively. Median patient age was 62 years (range 36-74 years). Operative procedures included low anterior resections (n = 27), intersphincteric resections (n = 16), and abdominoperineal resections (n = 7). Bilateral lymph node dissection was performed in 44 patients. The median operative time was 476 min (range 320-683 min), and the median time required for lateral lymph node dissection was 165 min (range 85-257 min). The median blood loss was 27 mL (range 5-690 mL). There were no cases of open surgery or laparoscopic conversion. The median duration of postoperative hospital stay was 8 days (range 6-13 days). Clavien-Dindo classification Grade III-IV complications occurred in only one patient (2.0 %). There were no cases of anastomotic leak. There was no perioperative mortality. The median number of harvested lateral lymph nodes was 19 (range 5-47). Robotic-assisted lateral lymph node dissection is a safe, feasible, and useful approach for patients with advanced lower rectal cancer.