Robotic compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program comparative analysis.

Background: Data demonstrating the clinical benefit of robotic cholecystectomy over the laparoscopic approach are lacking. Herein, we aim to evaluate whether robotic cholecystectomy is associated with improved surgical outcomes compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Study design: This is a retrospective cohort study that used the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program to compare the outcomes of patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign indications in 2022.

Results: Of the 59,216 patients identified, 53,746 underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and 5,470 robotic. Compared with the robotic cohort, the patients in the laparoscopic cholecystectomy group were older (50.4 vs 49.7 years), were of the male sex (32.7% vs 29.7%), and comprised a greater percentage of other races than White, African American, and Asian (28.6% vs 14.8%). Multivariable logistic regression revealed that robotic cholecystectomy compared with the laparoscopic approach was independently associated with a lower risk of Clavien-Dindo complications grade 3 or 4 (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.69-0.98), a lower rate of conversion to open (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% confidence interval, 0.32-0.61), and lower odds of requiring hospitalization ≥24 hours (odds ratio, 0.76; 95% confidence interval, 0.71-0.81). There were no significant differences between the 2 approaches in terms of reoperation (odds ratio, 0.69; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-1.00) and readmission (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.82-1.10).

Conclusion: Robotic cholecystectomy was independently associated with a lower risk of serious complications, lower rate conversion to open, and hospitalization ≥24 hours compared with laparoscopic cholecystectomy. These findings suggest that new technologies might enhance the safety of minimally invasive surgery.