Robotic versus laparoscopic liver resection for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: an observational study

Background: Compared to laparoscopic liver resection (LLR), robotic liver resection (RLR) can offer patients better outcomes but higher costs. And currently, real-world observational evidence from China regarding this topic remains understudied. This study aimed to compare the cost difference between RLR and LLR and its association with surgical difficulty, thereby providing new insights for surgical decision-making. Methods: We retrospectively collected data from patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who underwent liver resection by a single medical team at one hospital in China, from January 2016 to July 2023. Patients were divided into the RLR group and the LLR group. We compared perioperative outcomes and medical costs before and after propensity score matching (PSM), then conducted subgroup analyses with surgical difficulty as a covariate. Results: ¥58,643.8, P