ObjectiveTo evaluate the early effectiveness of the robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty (THA) via direct superior approach (DSA).MethodsBetween March 2021 and April 2021, 11 patients (11 hips) were treated with a robot-assisted THA via DSA. There were 7 males and 4 females, with an average age of 55 years (range, 26-73 years). There were 5 patients of osteoarthritis secondary to hip dysplasia and 6 patients of osteonecrosis of femoral head. Preoperative hip Harris score was 55.8±6.3. The operation time, volume of blood loss, length of incision, postoperative blood transfusion and hospital stay, and the incidence of surgical complications were recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score and Harris score were used to evaluate hip joint pain and function. The leg length discrepancy (LLD) was measured on the X-ray films. The inclination angle and anteversion angle of the acetabular component were also measured, and the difference between the planned and actual values were compared.ResultsOne THA was performed via conventional posterolateral approach finally because of poor exposure. The rest of 10 THAs were performed with assistance of robotic arm via DSA. The average operation time was 89 minutes (range, 65-120 minutes); the average length of incision was 10.5 cm (range, 9-13 cm); and the average blood loss was 400 mL (range, 110-740 mL). One patient was given a blood transfusion for 2 unit. All incisions healed by first intention and no neurovascular injury, deep vein thrombosis, or fracture occurred. The length of hospital stay after operation was 2-6 days (mean, 4.4 days). The duration of follow-up was 1-3 months (mean, 2.1 months). The VAS score was 0 in 9 patients and 2 in 1 patient at the day of discharge. At last follow-up, the hip Harris score was 84.9±6.7, showing significant difference when compared with that before operation (t=−8.717, P=0.000). The inclination and anteversion angles were (37.4±2.0)° and (17.1±4.5)°, respectively, and there was no significant difference when compared with the planned values [(38.2±1.6)°, (16.6±3.7)°] (t=1.809, P=0.104; t=–1.103, P=0.299). The LLD ranged from –2 to 4 mm. No complication such as dislocation, aseptic loosening, or periprosthetic joint infection occurred. ConclusionThe robot-assisted THA via DSA has encouraged early effectiveness.
Objective To analyze the impact of robot assistance on the restoration of limb length and offset distance in total hip arthroplasty (THA). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 316 patients who underwent unilateral primary THA between September 2019 and August 2023. Among them, 117 patients underwent robot-assisted THA (group A), and 199 patients underwent conventional THA (group B). There was no significant difference between the two groups in the gender, age, or side of the hip replacement (P>0.05); but there was a significant difference in the preoperative diagnosis (P<0.05). The leg length discrepancy (LLD) and global offset (GO) dfference were measured on preoperative anteroposterior pelvic X-ray films, and absolute values were used for comparison between groups. Results The operations in both groups were successfully completed. Postoperative imaging measurements showed that the LLD and GO dfference in group A were significantly lower than those in group B (P<0.05). Among them, group A had 32 cases (27.4%), 5 cases (4.3%), and 0 case (0) of LLD>3 mm, >5 mm, and >10 mm, respectively, while group B had 115 cases (57.8%), 75 cases (37.7%), and 22 cases (11.1%), respectively; and the differences in above indicators between groups were significant (P<0.05). Group A had 40 cases (34.2%), 3 cases (2.6%), and 0 case (0) of GO dfference>5 mm, >10 mm, and >20 mm, respectively; group B had 103 cases (51.8%), 54 cases (27.1%), and 7 cases (3.5%), respectively. There was no significant difference in the proportion of patients with GO>20 mm between groups (P>0.05), while there were significant differences in other indicators between groups (P<0.05). Conclusion Compared with traditional THA, robot assisted THA has more advantages in restoration of limb length and offset distance.
ObjectiveTo introduce the method and preliminary experience of robot-assisted bilateral internal mammary arteries (BIMA) harvesting for off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting (OPCAB) with 5 grafts via left anterolateral minithoracotomy.MethodsBIMA were harvested using the da Vinci robotic surgical system, and the right internal mammary artery (RIMA) was pulled out of the thoracic cavity through right second intercostal space. Intercepting the distal part of the RIMA for the BIMA composite Lima-Rima Y graft and anastomosing the great saphenous vein with remaining RIMA end to end. The Y graft anastomosed with left anterior descending (LAD) branch and diagonal branches (DIAG), artery-vein graft sequentially anastomosed with blunt round branch, left ventricular posterior branch and posterior descending branch.ResultsThe operation succeeded without hemodynamic instability and intra aortic balloon pump (IABP) implantation or cardiopulmonary bypass. The blood flow of Y graft was 24 mL/min, and the blood flow of artery-vein graft was 30 mL/min. Ventilator assistance time was 35 hours, ICU staying time was 62 hours, and postoperative myocardial enzymes increased temporarily. Postoperative coronary CTA showed that all the grafts were patency, and cardiac ultrasound indicated that the heart function was normal. The patient cured and discharged from hospital 7 days after operation.ConclusionRobot-assisted bilateral internal mammary artery harvesting for OPCAB with 5 grafts via left anterolateral minithoracotomy is feasible, which can achieve complete revascularization.
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 summarize the experience of robot-assisted lung basal segmentectomy, and analyze the clinical application value of intersegmental tunneling and pulmonary ligament approach for S9 and/or S10 segmentectomy. MethodsThe clinical data of 78 patients who underwent robotic lung basal segmentectomy in our hospital between January 2020 to May 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 32 males and 46 females with a median age of 50 (33-72) years. The patients who underwent S9 and/or S10 segmentectomy were divided into a single-direction group (pulmonary ligament approach, n=19) and a bi-direction group (intersegmental tunneling, n=19) according to different approaches, and the perioperative outcomes between the two groups were compared. ResultsAll patients successfully completed the operation, without conversion to thoracotomy and lobectomy, serious complications, or perioperative death. The median operation time was 100 (40-185) min, the blood loss was 50 (10-210) mL, and the median number of dissected lymph nodes was 3 (1-14). There were 4 (5.1%) patients with postoperative air leakage, and 4 (5.1%) patients with hydropneumothorax. No patient showed localized atelectasis or lung congestion at 6 months after the operation. Further analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the operation time, blood loss, thoracic drainage time, complications or postoperative hospital stay between the single-direction and bi-direction groups (P>0.05). However, the number of dissected lymph nodes of the bi-direction group was more than that of the single-direction group [6 (1-13) vs. 5 (1-9), P=0.040]. ConclusionThe robotic lung basal segmentectomy for pulmonary nodules is safe and effective. The perioperative results of robotic S9 and/or S10 complex segmentectomy using intersegmental tunneling and pulmonary ligament approach are similar.
ObjectiveTo analyze and compare the perioperative efficacy difference between full-port Da Vinci robotic surgery and thoracoscopic surgery in patients with mediastinal tumor resection. MethodsThe data of 232 patients with mediastinal tumors treated by the same operator in the Department of Thoracic Surgery of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University were included. There were 103 (44.4%) males and 129 (55.6%) females, with an average age of 49.7 years. According to the surgical methods, they were divided into a robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) group (n=113) and a video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) group (n=119). After 1 : 1 propensity score matching, 57 patients in the RATS group and 57 patients in the VATS group were obtained. ResultsThe RATS group was better than the VATS group in the visual analogue scale pain score on the first day after the surgery [3.0 (2.0, 4.0) points vs. 4.0 (3.0, 5.0) points], postoperative hospital stay time [4.0 (3.0, 5.5) d vs. 6.0 (5.0, 7.0) d] and postoperative catheterization time [2.0 (2.0, 3.0) d vs. 3.0 (3.0, 4.0) d] (all P<0.05). There was no statistical difference between the two groups in terms of intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, postoperative thoracic closed drainage catheter placement rate or postoperative total drainage volume (all P>0.05). The total hospitalization costs [51 271.0 (44 166.0, 57 152.0) yuan vs. 35 814.0 (33 418.0, 39 312.0) yuan], operation costs [37 659.0 (32 217.0, 41 511.0) yuan vs. 19 640.0 (17 008.0, 21 421.0) yuan], anesthesia costs [3 307.0 (2 530.0, 3 823.0) yuan vs. 2 059.0 (1 577.0, 2 887.0) yuan] and drug and examination costs [9 241.0 (7 987.0, 12 332.0) yuan vs. 14 143.0 (11 620.0, 16 750.0) yuan] in the RATS group was higher than those in the VATS group (all P<0.05). ConclusionRobotic surgery and thoracoscopic surgery can be done safely and effectively. Compared with thoracoscopic surgery, robotic surgery has less postoperative pain, shorter tube-carrying time, and less postoperative hospital stay, which can significantly speed up the postoperative recovery of patients. However, the cost of robotic surgery is higher than that of thoracoscopic surgery, which increases the economic burden of patients and is also one of the main reasons for preventing the popularization of robotic surgery.
Objective To conduct a systematic bibliometric analysis of recent research on robot-assisted orthopedic surgery, in order to reveal the research trends, hotspots, main contributors, and future development directions in this field. Methods On August 27, 2024, WoSCC (Web of Science Core Collection Database) was searched and relevant literature on robot-assisted orthopedic surgery from 2003 to 2023 was included. Excel 2016, VOSviewer (version 1.6.10), and CiteSpace (version 6.2.R6) were used for data collection and analysis. Results The total citation frequency of 1718 retrieved literature was 28978 times, with an average citation frequency of 16.87 times per article. The total citation frequency of articles in 2019 was the highest (4330 times), and the publication volume in 2023 was the highest (315 articles). Among the top 5 countries in terms of publication volume, the United States had the highest publication volume and total citation frequency, while China ranked second in terms of publication volume, but had the lowest average citation frequency per article. Analysis of cooperation between countries showed that the United States, China, Germany, and other countries had the most cooperation. Babar Kayani’s articles were cited the most frequently. Among the top 10 institutions in terms of publication volume, the Hospital for Special Surgery (United States) had the highest publication volume, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (United States) had the highest total citation frequency for publications, and the average citation frequency of each article published by the University of Pittsburgh (United States) was the highest. The dynamic evolution of research hotspots suggested that early research mainly focused on the combination of traditional surgical techniques and navigation, while in recent years, research had mainly focused on computer-aided surgery, augmented reality, and medical robotics technology. Conclusions In recent years, significant progress has been made in the research of robot-assisted orthopedic surgery, with the United States taking a leading position in this field and having extensive global cooperation. Research hotspots show that with the continuous development of computer-aided surgery, augmented reality, and robotics technology, the field of orthopedic surgery is evolving towards more precise, individualized, and minimally invasive directions.
Objective To systematically evaluate the difference in leg length discrepancy (LLD) between robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty (THA) and traditional THA. Methods The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Web of Science, EMbase, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM databases were searched by computer to collect cohort studies of robot-assisted and traditional THAs from inception to August 11th, 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the risk of bias of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. ResultsA total of 10 high-quality cohort studies were included. The results of Meta-analysis showed that compared with traditional THA, LLD after robot-assisted THA was smaller [MD=−1.64, 95%CI (−2.25, −1.04), P<0.001], Harris scores at 3 and 12 months after operation were higher [MD=1.50, 95%CI (0.44, 2.57), P=0.006; MD=7.60, 95%CI (2.51, 12.68), P=0.003]. However, the operative time was longer [MD=8.36, 95%CI (4.56, 12.17), P<0.000 1], and the postoperative acetabular anteversion angle was larger [MD=1.91, 95%CI (1.43, 2.40), P<0.001]. There was no significant difference in Harris score at 6 months, amnesia index (Forgotten joint score, FJS), postoperative acetabular abduction angle, and incidence of complication between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion Robot-assisted THA is superior to traditional THA in postoperative LLD.
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.