Robotics in gallbladder surgery; single-site robotic cholecystectomy versus single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A prospective nonrandomized controlled study

Single-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (SILC) has several technical limitations. Few studies have addressed Single-Site Robotic Cholecystectomy (SSRC). This prospective non-randomized controlled study was conducted in tertiary care hospitals in Egypt and the USA on 100 patients to compare SSRC, SILC and Multi-Incision Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (MILC). SILC group had the longest operative times. CBD injury occurred in one SILC case and one MILC case. Right hepatic artery was injured in one case of SILC. One case of port-site hernia occurred in the SILC group. Wound infection rates in the MILC, SILC, and SSRC groups were 31%, 0%, and 3%, respectively while failure rates were 3%, 6% and 3% respectively. The SSRC group had low pain scores and shorter hospital stays. SSRC and SILC groups showed better aesthetic results. SSRC is safe, feasible, reproducible, and offers excellent aesthetic results. Limitations include the non-randomized design and limited power for rare outcomes such as bile duct injury. However, high cost and limited system availability have impacted its wide-scale implementation in Egypt..