ObjectiveTo systematically review safety and effectiveness of robotic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and laparoscopic RYGB for morbid obesity.MethodsThe systematic literatures were conducted by a comprehensive search in the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, WanFang data, CNKI, and CBM, etc. Two reviewers independently selected the literatures and extracted the data. The meta-analysis was performed using the R statistical program version 3.4.2.ResultsA total of 19 studies involving 177 766 patients with morbid obesity were included, of which 172 234 underwent the laparoscopic RYGB (laparoscopic group) and 5 532 underwent the robotic RYGB (robotic group). The operative time was longer [MD=27.84, 95% CI (12.85, 42.83)] and the rate of death was higher [OR=2.05, 95% CI (1.03, 4.08)] in the robotic group as compared with the laparoscopic group. The hospitalization time, intraoperative blood loss, conversion rate, rates of reoperation and readmission of 30 d after the operation, and postoperative complications had no significant differences between these two groups.ConclusionRobotic RYGB is a safe and effective surgical procedure, but it is not found to be superior to laparoscopic RYGB.