Robot-assisted hemihepatectomy is superior to laparoscopic hemihepatectomy through dorsal approach: A propensity score-matched study (with videos)

Background: Dorsal approach is the potentially effective strategy for minimally invasive liver resection. This study aimed to compare the outcomes between robot-assisted and laparoscopic hemihepatectomy through dorsal approach.

Methods: We compared the patients who underwent robot-assisted hemihepatectomy (Rob-HH) and who had laparoscopic hemihepatectomy (Lap-HH) through dorsal approach between January 2020 and December 2022. A 1:1 propensity score-matching (PSM) analysis was performed to minimize bias and confounding factors.

Results: Ninety-six patients were included, 41 with Rob-HH and 55 with Lap-HH. Among them, 58 underwent left hemihepatectomy (LHH) and 38 underwent right hemihepatectomy (RHH). Compared with Lap-HH group, patients with Rob-HH had less estimated blood loss (median: 100.0 vs. 300.0 mL, P = 0.016), lower blood transfusion rates (4.9% vs. 29.1%, P= 0.003) and postoperative complication rates (26.8% vs. 54.5%, P = 0.016). These significant differences consistently existed after PSM and in the LHH subgroups. Furthermore, robot-assisted LHH was associated with decreased Pringle duration (45 vs. 60 min, P = 0.047). RHH subgroup analysis showed that compared with Lap-RHH, Rob-RHH was associated with less estimated blood loss (200 vs. 400 mL, P = 0.013). No significant differences were found in other perioperative outcomes among pre- and post-PSM cohorts, such as Pringle duration, operative time, and hospital stay.

Conclusions: The dorsal approach was a safe and feasible strategy for hemi-hepatectomy with favorable outcomes under robot-assisted system in reducing intraoperative blood loss, transfusion, and postoperative complications.