Comparison between learning curves of robot-assisted and laparoscopic surgery in gynaecology: a systematic review.

Background: The advantages and disadvantages of Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery (RLS) compared to other minimally invasive surgical approaches are debated in the literature.

Objective: To evaluate the learning curves (LC) and their assessment methods for Robotic Laparoscopic Surgery (RLS) and Laparoscopic Surgery (LPS) in gynaecologic procedures.

Materials and methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed including the English language observational or interventional studies reporting the absolute number of procedures needed to achieve competency in RLS and LPS gynaecologic procedures, along with an objective and reproducible LC assessment method.

Main outcome measures: Number of procedures needed to achieve competency in RLS and LPS and LC assessment methods were extracted from included studies.

Results: Six studies with a total of 545 women were included. Several surgical procedures and methods for LC assessment were assessed in the included studies. For radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymph node dissection, the minimum number of procedures required to reach the LC was smaller in RLS than LPS in two studies out of four. For sacrocolpopexy, the number of procedures required to reach the LC was lower in RLS and LPS in one study out of two.

Conclusion: RLS learning curve was reported to be quicker than that of LPS for radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy and lymph node dissection. However, a standardised and widely accepted method for LC assessment in endoscopic surgery is needed, as well as further randomised clinical trials, especially involving inexperienced surgeons.

What is new?: This study may be the first systematic review to evaluate the LCs and their assessment methods for RLS and LPS in gynaecologic procedures.