Comparison of robotic vs. laparoscopic treatment in pediatric ovarian benign tumors

Objective: To compare the differences in surgical outcomes of robot-assisted treatment and laparoscopy for benign ovarian tumors among pediatric patients.

Methods: A total of 39 patients underwent robot-assisted surgery, and their outcomes were compared with 55 patients treated with laparoscopy during the same period by the same surgeons.

Results: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of age (7.5 ± 4.5 vs. 8.8 ± 3.8 years, p = 0.2496), weight (29.3 ± 17.7 vs. 31.7 ± 14.6 kg, p = 0.4383), or tumor size (5.0 ± 3.3 vs. 5.1 ± 3.8 cm, p = 0.8541). However, the operative time was significantly longer in the robotic surgery group (102.7 ± 33.5 vs. 89.3 ± 50.9 min, p = 0.0112). There was no significant difference in intraoperative blood loss. Fewer patients in the robotic surgery group opted for day surgery compared to the laparoscopy group (15.4% vs. 54.5%, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups of patients who chose inpatient surgery (5.6 ± 3.4 vs. 4.4 ± 2.9 d, p = 0.1213). There was no conversion to open surgery and no early postoperative complications in both groups.

Conclusion: Robot-assisted surgery and laparoscopy yield comparable outcomes for the treatment of benign ovarian tumors in children, although robotic surgery has a longer operative time.