First worldwide report on Hugo RAS™ surgical platform in right and left colectomy

The diffusion of robotic surgery is rapidly and constantly growing in different surgical specialties. Recently, novel robotic platforms have entered into the market. To date, however, most of the reports on their clinical use have specifically focused on gynecological and urological surgery. In this study, we present the first three robotic-assisted colectomies performed with the new Hugo RAS system (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA). The surgical team had previous robotic experience and completed simulation training and an official 2-day cadaver laboratory session. Operating room setting and trocar layout were planned and two full cadaver procedures were carried out (right and left colectomy). Onsite dry-run sessions were performed before tackling clinical cases. Three patients underwent robotic-assisted colectomies: one left colectomy, two right colectomies with complete mesocolic excision (CME) and high vascular ligation (HVL) at our Institution. Preoperative diagnosis was colonic adenocarcinoma in all cases. A description of the operative room setup, robotic arm configuration and docking angles is provided. Mean docking time and console time were 8 and 259 min, respectively. All the surgical steps were completed without critical surgical errors or high-priority alarms. Neither intraoperative complications nor conversions to open surgery were recorded. Postoperative courses were uneventful with a mean length of stay of 5 days. Further clinical data and experience are required for procedural standardization and potential integration of the system into robotic general surgery and colorectal programs.

Automated summary

The diffusion of robotic surgery is increasing in various surgical specialties, and new robotic platforms are entering the market. This study presents the first three robotic-assisted colectomies performed with the Hugo RAS system. The surgical team had previous robotic experience and completed simulation training and cadaver laboratory sessions. The procedures were completed successfully without complications or conversions to open surgery.