Diseases of the colon and rectum
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Review Comparative Study
Does robotic rectal cancer surgery offer improved early postoperative outcomes?
Laparoscopic rectal surgery continues to be challenging, especially in low rectal cancers, because the technique has several limitations. Robotic rectal surgery could potentially address these limitations. However, it still remains unclear whether robotic surgery should be accepted as the new standard treatment in rectal cancer surgery. ⋯ The current evidence suggests that robotic rectal surgery could potentially offer better short-term outcomes especially when applied in selected patients. Obesity, male sex, preoperative radiotherapy, and tumors in the lower two-thirds of the rectum may represent selection criteria for robotic surgery to justify its increased cost.