Objective To explore the feasibility of 5G remote robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy through animal experiments. Methods In this research, the Toumai? surgical robot was manipulated remotely by the surgeon in the Control Center of the MedBot Company through the 5G network established by China Telecom, and the experimental pig underwent lobectomy in simulated operating room. Results The animal experiment surgery was successfully completed. The surgeon remotely manipulated the surgical robot to complete the lobectomy of right apical lobe and mediastinal lymph node dissection. The entire animal experiment took about 60 minutes, with an average round-trip network delay of 125 (110-155) ms, and no network interruption or robot malfunction occurred. Conclusion This animal experiment is the first attempt of 5G remote thoracic surgery, which preliminarily proves the feasibility of completing remote lobectomy through the Toumai? surgical robot 5G wireless network connection. The systematic surgical procedure is summarized, which lays a foundation for the subsequent experiments and clinical applications of 5G remote robot-assisted thoracic surgery.
Robotic surgery system has been widely used in various types of pulmonary resections. With the unremitting efforts of Chinese thoracic surgeons, the quantity and quality of robotic pulmonary resections in China have reached a remarkable level. With the development and rapid promotion of this technology, the popularity of robotic surgery is also increasing. In order to standardize the clinical practice, guarantee the quality of treatment and promote the development of robotic pulmonary resections, the Committee of Thoracic Surgery, Doctor Society of Medical Robotics, Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized relevant domestic experts to formulate the consensus of Chinese clinical experts on robot-assisted lung cancer surgery.
Objective To investigate the perioperative outcome of robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy in treating pathological stage Ⅰ non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 333 consecutive p-T1 NSCLC patients who underwent robotic-assisted pulmonary lobectomy in our hospital between May 2013 and April 2016. There were 231 females (69.4%) and 102 males (30.6%) aged from 20–76 (55.01±10.46) years. Cancer was located in the left upper lobectomy in 37 (11.1%) patients, left lower lobectomy in 71 (21.3%) patients, right upper lobectomy in 105 (31.5%) patients, right middle lobectomy in 32 (9.6%) patients, right lower lobectomy in 88 (26.4%) patients. Adenocarcinoma was confirmed in 330 (99.1%) patients and squamous cell cancer was confirmed in 3 (0.9%) patients. Results Total operative time was 46–300 (91.51±30.80) min. Estimated intraoperative blood loss was 0–100 ml in 319 patients (95.8%), 101–400 ml in 12 patients (3.6%), >400 ml in 2 patients (0.6%). Four patients were converted to thoracotomy, including 2 patients due to pulmonary artery branch bleeding and 2 due to pleural adhesion.No patient died within 30 days after surgery. And no perioperative blood transfusion occurred. Postoperative day 1 drain was 0–960 (231.39±141.87) ml. Chest drain time was 2–12 (3.96±1.52) d.And no patient was discharged with chest tube. Length of hospital stay after surgery was 2–12 (4.96±1.51) d. Persistent air leak was in 12 patients over 7 days. No readmission happened within 30 days. All patients underwent lymph node sampling or dissection with 2–9 (5.69±1.46) groups and 3–21 (9.80±3.43) lymph nodes harvested. Total intraoperative cost was 60 389.66–134 401.65 (93 809.23±13 371.26) yuan. Conclusion Robot-assisted pulmonary lobectomy is safe and effective in treating p-Stage Ⅰ NSCLC, and could be an important supplement to conventional VATS. Regarding to cost, it is relatively more expensive compared with conventional VATS. RATS will be widely used and make a great change in pulmonary surgery with the progressive development of surgical robot.
ObjectiveTo compare the surgical efficacy of Da-Vinci robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) and video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). MethodsOnline databases including PubMed, EMbase, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and CBM from inception to 18 February, 2022 were searched by two researchers independently. The references of related studies were also searched to re-enroll the potential studies. The quality of the studies was evaluated with Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). The meta-analysis was performed by RevMan 5.3. Results A total of 43 studies including 33 089 patients were enrolled in the final study. The NOS scores of the included studies were ≥6 points. The results of meta-analysis showed that the operation time was longer [MD=8.50, 95%CI (1.59, 15.41), P=0.020], the blood loss was less [MD=?46.58, 95%CI (?62.86, ?30.29), P＜0.001], the dissected lymph nodes stations were more [MD=0.67, 95%CI (0.40, 0.93), P＜0.001], the dissected lymph nodes were more [MD=2.39, 95%CI (1.43, 3.36), P＜0.001], the conversion rate was lower [OR=0.52, 95%CI (0.46, 0.59), P＜0.001], the time of chest tube drainage was shorter [MD=?0.35, 95%CI (?0.58, ?0.11), P=0.004], the length of hospital stay was shorter [MD=?0.32, 95%CI (?0.45, ?0.19), P＜0.001], and the recurrence rate was lower [OR=0.51, 95%CI (0.36, 0.72), P＜0.001] in the RATS group than those in the VATS group. The rate of overall postoperative complications [OR=0.95, 95%CI (0.89, 1.01), P=0.110] and postoperative mortality rate [OR=0.85, 95%CI (0.62, 1.16), P=0.300] were not significantly different between the two groups. ConclusionCompared with VATS, although RATS prolongs the operation time, it does not increase the incidence of postoperative complications and mortality rates. Moreover, RATS can dissect more lymph nodes, effectively control intraoperative bleeding, shorten the duration of chest drainage tube indwelling and shorten the postoperative hospital stay to a certain extent.
ObjectiveTo summarize the surgical learning curve and evaluate the effectiveness, safety and feasibility of the robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (RATS) by comparing with the conventional vedio-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS).MethodsThe clinical data of 40 patients receiving robotic assisted thoracoscopic anatomic lung resection from March to June 2016 in our department were reviewed. There were 29 males and 11 females with the age of 54-78 (60.2±12.7) years in the RATS group, and 27 males and 10 females with the age of 52-76 (58.7±11.5) years in the VATS group. Lung space-occupying lesions were comfirmed by preoperative diagnosis. The operative time, blood loss, chest tube retention time, postoperative hospital stay and perioperative morbidity and mortality were analyzed. The safety and feasibility were evaluated, and the learning curve was summed up.ResultsOperative time, postoperative ventilation time, intraoperative blood loss, chest tube retention time, postoperative pain, average hospital stay, postoperative complication rate between two groups were not statistically significant. In the RATS group preoperative preparation time was longer than that of the VATS group (24.5 min vs. 15.6 min, P=0.003), and the rate of conversion to thoracotomy of the RATS group was lower than that of the VATS group (0 vs. 10.8%). There was no perioperative death in two groups.ConclusionRobotic-assisted thoracic surgery is safe and effective in the early learning process, and the learning curve can be entered into the standard stage from the learning stage after initial 10 operations.
Objective To explore the safety and feasibility of 5G remote robot-assisted thoracoscopic anatomic lobectomy and segmentectomy. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent 5G remote robot-assisted thoracoscopic anatomic lobectomy or segmentectomy between July and September 2024. The surgeries were performed collaboratively by Shanghai Chest Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, and The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University. Perioperative outcomes were recorded and analyzed. Results Ten patients were included, comprising 4 anatomic lobectomies and 6 segmentectomies. The median age was 61.0 (56.0, 72.0) years. The median intraoperative bi-directional network latency was 52.5 (39.0, 54.0) ms. There were no instances of network interruption, robot-related adverse events, or conversions to open thoracotomy. The median postoperative chest tube drainage volume was 500.0 (375.0, 600.0) mL, and the median hospital stay was 5.5 (4.0, 6.0) days. No complications of Clavien-Dindo grade Ⅱor higher occurred. All patients were recurrence-free and alive during the 6-month postoperative follow-up period. Conclusion 5G remote robot-assisted thoracoscopic surgery demonstrates high safety and operational stability. This technology shows promising potential for clinical application and warrants further development and utilization.
Objective To investigate short-term effectiveness of robot-assisted fracture reduction and fixation combined with arthroscopic exploration for posterolateral depressed tibial plateau fractures. Methods Between January 2022 and January 2024, 8 patients with posterolateral depressed tibial plateau fractures (Schatzker type Ⅲ) were treated using robot-assisted fracture reduction and fixation combined with arthroscopic exploration, with simultaneous treatment of concomitant ligament or meniscus tears. There were 3 males and 5 females with an average age of 54.1 years (range, 42-68 years). Injury mechanisms included traffic accidents (3 cases) and falls (5 cases). The time from injury to operation ranged from 2 to 4 days (mean, 3.1 days). Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stay duration, visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, and complications were recorded. Fracture healing and knee Rasmussen scores were assessed radiographically, while knee function was evaluated using range of motion and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) scores. Results All operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 108-129 minutes (mean, 120.1 minutes). The intraoperative blood loss was 10-100 mL (mean, 41.3 mL). The hospital stay duration was 4-7 days (mean, 5.6 days). All incisions healed by first intention without complication such as peroneal nerve injury, vascular damage, or infection. All patients were followed up 32-48 weeks (mean, 40 weeks). Radiographic follow-up confirmed that the knee Rasmussen scores rated as excellent in 8 patients and all fractures healed with the healing time of 12-16 weeks (mean, 13.5 weeks). The VAS score for pain was 2-4 (mean, 2.8) at discharge and improved to 0 at 1 month after operation. The knee range of motion was 80°-110° (mean, 96.1°) at discharge and increased to 135°-140° (mean, 137.9°) at 1 month after operation. At 3 months after operation, the HSS score was 91-94 (mean, 92.8), all graded as excellent. No severe complication, including implant failure, occurred during follow-up. Conclusion For posterolateral depressed tibial plateau fractures, the minimally invasive approach combining robot-assisted fracture reduction and fixation with arthroscopic exploration demonstrates multiple advantages, including shorter operation time, reduced intraoperative blood loss, excellent wound healing, fewer complications, and rapid recovery of knee function. This technique achieves satisfactory short-term effectiveness, while its long-term effectiveness requires further evaluation.
Objective To explore the application progress and clinical value of digital technologies in the surgical treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods By systematically reviewing domestic and international literature, the study summarized the specific application scenarios, operational procedures, and technical advantages of digital technologies [including preoperative three-dimensional (3D) planning, intraoperative real-time navigation, robot-assisted surgery, and 3D printing] in AS surgery, and analyzed their impact on surgical accuracy, complication rates, and clinical outcomes. ResultsDigital technologies significantly improve the precision and safety of AS surgery. Preoperative 3D planning enables personalized surgical protocols; intraoperative navigation systems dynamically adjusts surgical trajectories, reducing the risk of iatrogenic injury; robot-assisted surgery can minimize human errors and enhance implant positioning accuracy; 3D-printed anatomical models and guides optimize the correction of complex spinal deformities. Furthermore, the combined applications of these technologies shorten operative time, reduce intraoperative blood loss, decrease postoperative complications (e.g., infection, nerve injury), and accelerate functional recovery.ConclusionThrough multidimensional integration and innovation, digital technologies provide a precise and minimally invasive solution for AS surgical treatment. Future research should focus on their synergy with biomaterials and intelligent algorithms to further refine surgical strategies and improve long-term prognosis.
Objective To explore the clinical application value of the spinal robot-assisted surgical system in mild to moderate lumbar spondylolisthesis and evaluate the accuracy of its implantation. Methods The clinical data of 56 patients with Meyerding grade Ⅰ or Ⅱ lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) between January 2017 and December 2017 were retrospectively analysed. Among them, 28 cases were preoperatively planned with robotic arm and percutaneous pedicle screw placement according to preoperative planning (group A); the other 28 cases underwent fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous pedicle screw placement (group B). There was no significant difference in gender, age, body mass index, slippage type, Meyerding grade, and surgical segmental distribution between the two groups (P>0.05). The screw insertion angle was measured by CT, the accuracy of screw implantation was evaluated by Neo’s criteria, and the invasion of superior articular process was evaluated by Babu’s method. Results One hundred and twelve screws were implanted in the two groups respectively, 5 screws (4.5%) in group A and 26 screws (23.2%) in group B penetrated the lateral wall of pedicle, and the difference was significant (χ2=9.157, P=0.002); the accuracy of nail implantation was assessed according to Neo’s criteria, the results were 107 screws of degree 0, 3 of degree 1, 2 of degree 2 in group A, and 86 screws of degree 0, 16 of degree 1, 6 of degree 2, 4 of degree 3 in group B, showing significant difference between the two groups (Z=4.915, P=0.031). In group B, 20 (17.9%) screws penetrated the superior articular process, while in group A, 80 screws were removed from the decompression side, and only 3 (3.8%) screws penetrated the superior articular process. According to Babu’s method, the degree of screw penetration into the facet joint was assessed. The results were 77 screws of grade 0, 2 of grade 1, 1 of grade 2 in group A, and 92 screws of grade 0, 13 of grade 1, 4 of grade 2, 3 of grade 3 in group B, showing significant difference between the two groups (Z=7.814, P=0.029). The screw insertion angles of groups A and B were (23.5±6.6)° and (18.1±7.5)° respectively, showing significant difference (t=3.100, P=0.003). Conclusion Compared to fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous pedicle screw placement, robot-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement has the advantages such as greater accuracy, lower incidence of screw penetration of the pedicle wall and invasion of the facet joints, and has a better screw insertion angle. Combined with MIS-TLIF, robot-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement is an effective minimally invasive treatment for lumbar spondylolisthesis.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical value of three-dimensional computed tomography bronchography and angiography (3D-CTBA) in robotic lung segmentectomy.MethodsA non-randomized control study was performed and continuously enrolled 122 patients who underwent robotic lung segmentectomy in our hospital from January 2019 to January 2020. 3D-CTBA was performed before operations in 53 patients [a 3D-CTBA group, including 18 males, 35 females, with a median age of 52 (26-69) years] and not performed in the other 69 patients [a traditional group, including 23 males, 46 females, with a median age of 48 (30-76) years]. The clinical data of the patients were compared between the two groups.ResultsAll the patients were successfully completed the surgery and recovered from hospital, with no perioperative death. The baseline characteristics of the patients were not significantly different between the two groups (P>0.05). No significant difference was found in the operative time [120 (70-185) min vs. 120 (45-225) min, P=0.801], blood loss [50 (20-300) mL vs. 30 (20-400) mL, P=0.778], complications rate (17.0% vs. 11.6%, P=0.162), postoperative hospital stay [7 (4-19) d vs. 7 (3-20) d, P=0.388] between the two groups. In the 3D-CTBA group, 5 (9.4%) patients did not find nodules after segmentectomy, and only 1 (1.9%) of them needed lobectomy, but in the traditional group, 8 (11.6%) patients did not find nodules and had to carry out lobectomy, the difference was statistically significant (P<0.05). The follow-up time was 10 (1-26) months, and during this period, there was no recurrence, metastasis or death in the two groups.Conclusion3D-CTBA is helpful for accurate localization of nodules and reasonable surgical planning before operations, and reducing wrong resections in segmentectomy, without increasing the operation time, blood loss and complications. It is safe and effective in anatomical lung segmentectomy.