Multi-institutional Study on the Assessment of Robotic Surgery for Gastric Cancer

Minimally invasive surgery revolutionized the field of gastric cancer surgery. The surgical robot was introduced to alleviate the difficulty of laparoscopic surgery. Although many studies have reported successful outcomes for robotic surgery, there is no multicenter prospective analysis regarding the advantage of the robotic gastrectomy. The aim of this study is to analyze the surgical outcomes of the robotic gastrectomy focusing on the learning curve, cost-effectiveness, quality of life, and acute-inflammatory reaction in comparison with laparoscopic gastrectomy.

Inclusion Criteria for prospective study participants

• Patients must have documented diagnosis of gastric cancer
• Patients receiving laparoscopic gastric cancer surgery without preoperative evidence of serosal invasion and distant lymph node metastasis as determined by preoperative CT-scan, upper endoscopy, and endoscopic ultrasound.
• Patients who have received comprehensive explanation about the planned study, understand and accept all the terms of the study and willingly give consent to participate in all the required elements of the study

Inclusion Criteria for retrospective study participants

- Any patients who underwent robotic gastrectomy in Korea

Exclusion Criteria for prospective study participants

• Patients without mental competence
• Patients who are illiterate
• Patients who are pregnant
• Patients < 20 years old

Exclusion Criteria for retrospective study participants