Robot-assisted hysterectomy vs total laparoscopic hysterectomy: A comparison of short-term surgical outcomes

Background: The objective of the study was to compare the short-term outcomes of robot-assisted hysterectomy with laparoscopic hysterectomy. Methods: This study compared 60 patients who underwent robot-assisted hysterectomy (RAH) with 60 patients who underwent laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH). Results: The mean ages of the patients in the RAH and LH groups were 51.52±6.97 and 50.68±8.92years, respectively. The mean operative times for the RAH and LH groups were 108.12±34.65 and 90.67±25.20min, respectively (p=0.002). None of the cases in the RAH group required conversion to laparotomy; the rate of conversion to open laparotomy in the LH group was 1.6%. The complication rate among patients who underwent RAH was 8.3% compared with 6.6% in the laparoscopic cohort. Conclusions: Robot-assisted hysterectomy is feasible and safe, resulting in similar surgical results when compared with traditional laparoscopic hysterectomy. It appears that, in the hands of a skilled laparoscopic surgeon, robot-assisted hysterectomy is not superior to the laparoscopic approach. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.