Robotic-Assisted Transabdominal Inferior Retroperitoneal Approach: an Alternative to Cattell-Braash Maneuver

Introduction: The Cattell-Braasch maneuver has been widely used to provide adequate exposure for aorto-caval space (ACS) since the 1960s. Given its requirement of complex visceral mobilization and significant physiological disturbance, we proposed a new alternative surgical technique to access ACS: the transabdominal inferior retroperitoneal approach (TIRA) with robotic assistance.

Methods: Patients were placed in the Trendelenburg position, and the retroperitoneum was accessed from the iliac artery level and dissected toward the 3rd and 4th portion of the duodenum along the anterior surface of IVC and aorta.

Results: TIRA has been used in 5 consecutive patients at our institution whose tumors were located in the ACS below the level of SMA origin. The tumor sizes ranged from 1.7 to 5.6 cm. The median OR time was 192 min with a median EBL of 5 ml. Four out of the five patients passed flatus before or on post operative day (POD) 1, and the other patient passed flatus at POD2. The shortest length of stay was < 24 h, and the longest was 8 days due to pre-existing pain (the median length of stay was 4).

Conclusion: The proposed robotic-assisted TIRA procedure is designed for tumors in the inferior portion of ACS, specifically for the tumor involving D3, D4, para-aortic, para-caval, and kidney regions. Since this approach does not involve organ mobilization and all the dissections are following an avascular plane, it can be easily adapted to laparoscopic and/or open surgery setting.