Using Remotely Operated Suction Irrigation System in da Vinci SP Submucosal Dissection.

BACKGROUND Submucosal dissection using the da Vinci SP® system (Intuitive Surgical, Sunnyvale, CA, USA) is an emerging approach for treating premalignant lesions in the colon and rectum. The endoluminal space is tight and small, and during the procedure, this tight space is accessed by the 40 mm GelPOINT® Path transanal platform (Applied Medical, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, USA). Most of the trocar space is occupied by the 25 mm port of the da Vinci SP® system. There is limited space for an additional trocar, and the full mobility of this trocar is restricted; hence there is a need for an effective suction irrigator during these procedures. Although the da Vinci SP® system has four instrument capabilities, it does not have a suction irrigation instrument. To address this issue, we tested a Remotely Operated Suction Irrigation System (ROSI™) (VTI, Nashua, NH, USA) in three patients undergoing da Vinci SP® submucosal dissection. IMPACT OF INNOVATION The impact of innovation is the evaluation of a flexible suction irrigator during endorobotic submucosal dissection (ERSD), addressing space constraints and enhancing surgical precision. TECHNOLOGY MATERIALS AND METHODS This was a single-center retrospective observational study involving three patients who underwent ERSD, between February 2023 and May 2023. ROSI™ was used selectively for rectal lesions. PRELIMINARY RESULTS The first patient was a 67-year-old male with a 30 mm tubulovillous adenoma found in the rectum at 4 cm. The second patient was a 49-year-old female, referred after a screening colonoscopy, with a 40 mm rectal mass 12 cm from the anal verge. A biopsy revealed a tubular adenoma without dysplasia. The last patient was a 66-year-old male with a 25 mm tubulovillous adenoma with a focal high-grade dysplasia at 10 cm. There was no evidence of invasive carcinoma or lymph node metastasis on MRI in any of the patients. The patients were placed in a modified lithotomy position, and the GelPOINT® Path was inserted. A silk suture was attached at the proximal end of ROSI™ to facilitate tubing manipulation. ROSI™ was freely passed into the endoluminal space through the gel using a surgical clamp. Any bleeding during the operation was aspirated and irrigated using ROSI™ with the assistance of bipolar forceps. All surgeries were completed without complications and the patients were discharged on the same day. CONCLUSION AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS ROSI™ is a flexible foot pedal-controlled suction irrigator that can facilitate da Vinci SP® submucosal dissection. The flexibility and controllability of ROSI in the surgeon's hand may qualify it as an essential tool for performing ERSD and possibly other TAMIS procedures.