Outcome of robotic approach for bariatric surgery: Our initial experience in siriraj hospital

Objective: Bariatric surgery using the laparoscopic approach is the gold standard treatment for morbid obesity. Robotic systems have been utilized in many surgical fields, including bariatric surgery. However, the role of robotic bariatric surgery is still controversial. Therefore, in this study we aimed to establish the 1-year surgical outcomes of robotic bariatric surgery in Thailand. Case Report: In total, 10 patients who underwent robotic-assisted bariatric surgery from March 2017 to January 2018 were included in the present study. The patients’ demographic data, operative times, postoperative complications, weight loss outcome, and comorbidity resolution were analyzed. We performed 4 cases of robotic sleeve gastrectomy (RSG) and 6 cases of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RRYGB). The average patient’s age, preoperative body weight, and BMI were 37.3+9.4 years old, 115.5+15.3 kg, and 43.2+3.4 kg/m², respectively. The mean total operative times of RSG and RRYGB were 141.3+28.4 and 231.7+30.4 minutes. The mean length of hospital stay was 4.2+1.4 days. There was no morbidity and mortality in our study. At 1-year follow-up, the mean %EWL was 52.20% for RSG and 59.13% for RRYGB. Conclusion: The robotic approach for bariatric surgery is safe, feasible, and provides good surgical outcomes compared to the laparoscopic approach in Thailand.