{"title":"Three-pathway hallmark-based risk score for survival stratification in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: A public-database computational study","authors":"Qingxin Zeng, Weijian Tang, Zhengfu He, Chengjie Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Postoperative risk stratification in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) remains largely dependent on clinicopathologic stage. Biologically interpretable models derived from public transcriptomic data may refine postoperative surveillance and risk communication after esophagectomy. This study aims to develop and internally validate a biologically interpretable Hallmark pathway-derived risk score for overall survival stratification in patients with ESCC.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective computational study analyzed publicly available cases from the Cancer Genome Atlas esophageal carcinoma project (TCGA-ESCA) restricted to ESCC. Data retrieval for the analytic files was completed on April 29, 2026. Primary tumor messenger RNA (mRNA) expression data and clinical survival information were integrated. Gene-level expression values were transformed into Hallmark pathway scores using within-cohort standardized gene expression. Survival-associated pathways were screened by univariable Cox regression. The three pathways with the strongest univariable survival signals were entered into a penalized Cox model to generate a continuous pathway-derived risk score. Internal validation was performed using 5-fold cross-validation. Prognostic value was evaluated by Kaplan–Meier analysis, Cox regression, clinical-model comparison, and prespecified subgroup analyses.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Ninety-five TCGA-ESCC patients with available survival data were included. The final model included the reactive oxygen species pathway, UV response up, and p53 pathway. The 5-fold cross-validated concordance index was 0.687 (95% CI, 0.516–0.833). Using the median risk score as an exploratory visualization threshold, 48 patients were classified as high risk and 47 as low risk, with significant survival separation (log-rank <em>p</em> < 0.001). Univariable analysis revealed that the pathway-derived risk score was associated with overall survival (HR, 3.29; 95% CI, 1.53–7.04; <em>p</em> = 0.002) and remained an independent prognostic factor after adjustment for age, sex, pathological T stage, and nodal status (HR, 3.80; 95% CI, 1.46–9.90; <em>p</em> = 0.006). Adding the risk score to a clinicopathologic model improved the concordance from 0.710 to 0.762 and reduced the partial Akaike information criterion from 209.40 to 203.94.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>A three-pathway Hallmark-based score provided internally validated and biologically interpretable prognostic stratification in the TCGA-ESCC. The score remains exploratory, and external validation is necessary before clinical translation or threshold-based use.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 166-173"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Learning curves of extraperitoneal single-port robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: A step-specific analysis","authors":"Go Kaneko, Daisuke Igarashi, Suguru Shirotake","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>To evaluate the overall and step-specific learning curves of extraperitoneal single-port robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (SP-RARP) using the da Vinci SP system during the initial adoption phase.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective observational study included consecutive patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent extraperitoneal SP-RARP at Saitama Medical University International Medical Center between April 2025 and March 2026. All procedures were performed by a single surgeon. The operation was subdivided into nine predefined surgical steps. Learning curves were constructed using console time, step-specific operative time, and estimated blood loss. Cumulative sum analysis and segmented regression were used to identify breakpoints.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 31 consecutive patients were included. The median age was 72.8 y (IQR, 68.5–75.6 y), the median body mass index was 23.5 kg/m<sup>2</sup> (IQR, 21.3–24.9 kg/m<sup>2</sup>), and the median prostate-specific antigen level was 10.6 ng/mL (IQR, 6.5–16.2 ng/mL). According to National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria, 19 patients (61.3%) had biopsy grade group 4 or 5, and 19 (61.3%) had high- or very-high-risk disease. The median console time was 162 min (IQR, 153–184 min), with a breakpoint at approximately cases 16–17, whereas the estimated blood loss stabilized earlier at approximately cases 3–4. Step-specific analyses demonstrated heterogeneous maturation. Early stabilization was observed in the endopelvic fascia incision, dorsal venous complex control, and posterior reconstruction; intermediate stabilization in the vesicourethral anastomosis, anterior reconstruction, rectum-prostate dissection, and vas deferens/seminal vesicle dissection; and delayed stabilization in the development of the Retzius space. Bladder neck dissection showed no clear breakpoint.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Extraperitoneal SP-RARP improved progressively during the initial adoption phase, but technical maturation was not uniform across surgical steps. Step-specific analysis provided a more detailed understanding of procedural learning than overall operative metrics alone did.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 159-165"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"From forceps manipulation theory to cognitive support in robotic surgery: Conceptualizing “Level 0+” as a cognitive-support state in fully surgeon-controlled surgery","authors":"Yuji Nishizawa, Toshikazu Kawai, Atsushi Nishikawa","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 174-177"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Development and validation of a nomogram to predict the difficulty of minimally invasive liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma: A retrospective multicenter study","authors":"Junhao Zheng, Xurui Ren, Liye Tao, Zefeng Shen, Qifan Zhang, Qiang Gao, Jiwei Huang, Zhibo Zhang, Jianwei Li, Dalong Yin, Yong Ma, Xiao Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Minimally invasive liver resection (MILR) is a common surgical treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the current difficulty scoring system for MILR is limited to small samples or a single center, and a scoring system to assess surgery only for HCC is rare. Thus, we developed and validated a novel difficulty prediction system based on data from multiple centers to assess the surgical difficulty of MILR for treating HCC.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This study included patients who underwent MILR for resectable HCC between June 2011 and November 2022 at eight minimally invasive surgical centers in China. The cohort was randomly divided into a training dataset and a validation dataset at a 3:1 ratio. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed on the training dataset to identify independent risk factors for surgical difficulty and construct a prediction model. The performance of the model was validated by the validation dataset, and its discriminative ability, calibration, and clinical effectiveness were assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves and decision curve analysis.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>This study included 776 patients, with 582 patients in the training cohort and 194 patients in the validation cohort. Cirrhosis (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.12–2.64), maximum tumor diameter (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.26–1.56), and surgical resection extent (grade B: OR, 11.92; 95% CI, 3.53–38.32; grade C: OR, 46.97; 95% CI, 9.31–228.18; grade D: OR, 32.85; 95% CI, 9.25–111.29) were identified as independent risk factors influencing the challenge of MILR for HCC. The AUC was 0.783 (95% CI, 0.746–0.820) for the training cohort and 0.717 (95% CI, 0.643–0.791) for the validation cohort. Decision curve analysis revealed that this clinical model has strong practicality.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This novel nomogram performed well in predicting the difficulty of MILR in treating HCC on the basis of Eastern data.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 152-158"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Digital twin technology in surgery: A narrative review of applications, evidence, and implementation challenges","authors":"Aanuoluwapo Clement David-Olawade, Ahmed Mohamed Abdi, Aminat Opeyemi Amusa, Raphael Igbarumah Ayo Daniel, Omobolaji Rosemary Olasilola, Olabanke Florence Olawuyi","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Digital twin technology, which creates virtual replicas of physical entities that are continuously updated with real-time data, has emerged as a transformative innovation in healthcare. In surgical practice, digital twins offer unprecedented opportunities to enhance precision, personalisation, and patient outcomes. This literature review indicates that digital twin technology has demonstrated significant potential across multiple surgical domains, including preoperative planning, intraoperative guidance, postoperative monitoring, and surgical training. Its applications span cardiovascular, orthopaedic, neurological, and oncological surgeries. However, most applications remain at the proof-of-concept or early clinical deployment stage. While promising results have been reported, further research is needed to establish standardised protocols, validate clinical outcomes, and address technical and ethical challenges before widespread adoption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 125-131"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924188","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Harnoor Singh, Ekrem M. Ayhan, John G. Angeles, Richard S. Feinn, Leland J. Soto
{"title":"Reducing surgeon musculoskeletal discomfort through ergonomic optimization in robotic surgery: A quality improvement evaluation","authors":"Harnoor Singh, Ekrem M. Ayhan, John G. Angeles, Richard S. Feinn, Leland J. Soto","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Robotic surgery offers distinct advantages for patients but introduces unique ergonomic demands that may contribute to musculoskeletal strain among surgeons. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of ergonomic adjustments on postoperative musculoskeletal discomfort among robotic surgeons.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This quality improvement evaluation was conducted at Griffin Hospital, a medium-sized community hospital from May 2024 to January 2025. Participants completed a baseline ergonomics survey and subsequently participated in four control and four experimental observations. In the control condition, surgeons operated using their usual console setup. In the experimental condition, a standardized ergonomic intervention was applied. Postoperative discomfort across body regions was compared between control and ergonomic conditions using linear mixed-effects models, adjusting for preoperative discomfort and operative duration.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Seven surgeons participated in this study. Robotic experience varied, with most surgeons (6, 85.7%) reporting 1–10 years of practice. In the routine console use, many reported musculoskeletal symptoms, particularly involving the neck (57.1%), shoulders (71.4%), and back (57.1%). Following ergonomic adjustments, surgeons reported significantly lower postoperative discomfort scores, including reductions in the shoulders (MD, 0.488; <em>p</em> < 0.001), back (MD, 0.862; <em>p</em> < 0.001), and hands/wrists (MD, 0.334; <em>p</em> = 0.014). Overall discomfort was significantly lower in the ergonomic condition than in the control condition (MD, 0.668; <em>p</em> < 0.001).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Musculoskeletal discomfort is prevalent among robotic surgeons and may be linked to modifiable ergonomic factors. These findings highlight the need for standardized ergonomic guidelines and the incorporation of ergonomic education into robotic surgery training.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 132-138"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924191","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Joshua Alfred, Amir Botros, Faith Hirri, Michael Glaysher, Nicholas Carter, Philip Pucher, Stuart Mercer, Gijs van Boxel, Christopher Ball, Richard Beable, Jennifer Straatman
{"title":"Intraoperative ultrasound versus cholangiogram: Experience from a high-volume centre","authors":"Joshua Alfred, Amir Botros, Faith Hirri, Michael Glaysher, Nicholas Carter, Philip Pucher, Stuart Mercer, Gijs van Boxel, Christopher Ball, Richard Beable, Jennifer Straatman","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.06.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>More than 60,000 laparoscopic cholecystectomies are performed annually in the United Kingdom. Classically, on-table cholangiogram (OTC) has been used to visualise the biliary tree and assess common bile duct (CBD) stones. Increasingly, hospitals are adopting intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) to assess the CBD for stones. This service evaluation aimed to compare the use of IOUS and OTC in the detection of gallstones in the CBD during cholecystectomy in a high-volume centre.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>An observational cohort evaluation was performed at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, United Kingdom, including all consecutive patients who underwent a cholecystectomy with intraoperative imaging of the CBD in 2023. Patients were assigned to the OTC or IOUS groups on the basis of the type of imaging technique used. Baseline characteristics and procedural data were collected. Whether retained stones were identified during follow-up, with at least 12 months of follow-up.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 1016 patients underwent a cholecystectomy at our centre. And 511 of these patients (50.3%) had intraoperative bile duct imaging with either OTC (<em>n</em> = 333) or IOUS (<em>n</em> = 178). Overall, the duration of surgery was longer in the OTC group than in the IOUS group (87.3 ± 43.0 min vs. 74.7 ± 33.0 min, <em>p</em> < 0.001). The complication rates were similar in both groups (3.9% vs. 7.3%, <em>p</em> = 0.146). Following OTC, 255 (76.6%) patients were deemed to have a clear CBD, and 6 patients presented with retained stones. Another 3 patients presented with retained stones after undergoing CBD exploration in the same procedure, where the CBD was deemed clear at the end of the procedure. OTC demonstrated an estimated sensitivity of 96.2% and a specificity of 97.6%. Following the IOUS, 149 (83.7%) patients were deemed to have a clear CBD, and 5 patients presented with retained stones. IOUS demonstrated an estimated sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 96.6%.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>No differences were detected between OTC and IOUS with regards to complications, sensitivity, or specificity in the assessment of the CBD. IOUS was generally faster to apply and requires fewer resources. In cases of unclear biliary anatomy or equivocal intraoperative findings, the IOUS and OTC may be used as complementary imaging modalities to aid in intraoperative decision-making.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 139-145"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marie Burgard, Pouya Iranmanesh, Floryn Cherbanyk, Christian Toso, Stefan Paul Mönig, François Pugin, Minoa Karin Jung
{"title":"Postoperative outcomes of laparoscopic versus robotic bariatric conversion surgery: A matched two-center study","authors":"Marie Burgard, Pouya Iranmanesh, Floryn Cherbanyk, Christian Toso, Stefan Paul Mönig, François Pugin, Minoa Karin Jung","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Revisional bariatric surgery (RBS) constitutes up to 15% of all bariatric procedures, with Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) being commonly performed as a conversion procedure after adjustable gastric banding (AGB), vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), or vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG), and VSG being frequently performed as a conversion procedure after AGB or VBG. The optimal surgical approach—laparoscopic versus robotic—remains debated. This study aimed to compare laparoscopic and robotic conversion approaches for RBS.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A retrospective case–control study was conducted that included patients who underwent conversion procedures between January 2013 and December 2023 at two centers in Switzerland. Patients were matched on the basis of their index (AGB or stapled procedures) and revisional surgery (RYGB or VSG). The outcomes included early postoperative complications, intensive care unit admissions, operative times, and lengths of hospital stay.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 59 conversion procedures were performed, with 46 patients included after matching for revisional and index procedures: 23 in the robotic group and 23 in the laparoscopic group. The baseline characteristics of the patients in both groups were not significantly different. The operative time was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group (160.7 ± 55.1 min vs. 234.9 ± 61.4 min, <em>p</em> = 0.001). The overall early postoperative complication rates were similar between the groups (13.0% in the laparoscopic group vs. 17.4% in the robotic group, <em>p</em> = 0.681). Although numerically greater in the laparoscopic group, no statistically significant difference was observed between groups regarding major postoperative complications (13.0% vs. 0.0%, <em>p</em> = 0.073). All three patients with complications in the laparoscopic group required multiple reoperations, but none of the patients in the robotic surgery group required reoperation (13.0% vs. 0.0%, <em>p</em> = 0.073).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Although major complications and reoperations were numerically less frequent in the robotic group, this potential benefit must be balanced against the significantly longer operative time associated with the robotic approach. Larger studies are needed to clarify whether the numerical differences observed reflect a true clinical effect.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 146-151"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Konstantin M. Loban, Taras V. Nechay, Nigina B. Astanova, Lev L. Gusev, Alexander V. Sazhin
{"title":"Mesenteric teratoma of the small bowel: A rare entity in abdominal surgery","authors":"Konstantin M. Loban, Taras V. Nechay, Nigina B. Astanova, Lev L. Gusev, Alexander V. Sazhin","doi":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.04.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.lers.2026.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":32893,"journal":{"name":"Laparoscopic Endoscopic and Robotic Surgery","volume":"9 3","pages":"Pages 178-181"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148924153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}