The Usefulness of Robot-assisted Surgery for Elderly Colorectal Cancer Patients

Background/Aim: The usefulness of robot-assisted surgery for elderly colorectal cancer patients remains controversial. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of the surgical approach on short-term prognosis in patients aged ≥80 years. Patients and Methods: A total of 1,115 colorectal cancer patients aged ≥80 years who underwent surgery at 6 hospitals between 2016 and 2024 were included in the study. Patients were divided into three groups according to surgical approach: robotic surgery (R group, n=55), laparoscopic surgery (L group, n=910), and open surgery (O group, n=150). Patient characteristics and surgical outcomes were compared among the three groups. Results: The O group had higher proportions of patients with a body mass index (BMI)