Journal of robotic surgery
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Abstract
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The aim of this study was to analyse the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted thymectomy (RoT) in patients with clinically early stage thymoma, investigating clinical and early oncological results. Between 1998 and 2017, we retrospectively reviewed 76 (42.2%) patients who underwent radical thymectomy for clinically early stage thymoma (Masaoka-Koga I and II), identifying all patients who underwent RoT (n = 28) or open thymectomy (OT) with eligibility criteria for robotic surgery (n = 48). Using a propensity-score matched for tumor size (3.9 ± 1.8 cm) and stage (35% stage I, 42% stage IIA, 23% stage IIB), we paired 24 patients who had RoT with 24 patients undergoing OT. ⋯ After a median follow-up of 1.3 years, all patients in the RoT group were alive without disease. RoT is feasible and safe for early stage thymoma with clear advantage compared to OT in term of short term outcomes. A longer follow-up is needed to better evaluate the oncological results.
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Renal transplant recipient surgery is conventionally performed using open technique which is total extra-peritoneal in approach whereas robot assisted renal transplant recipient surgery is performed through a transperitoneal approach. We present a case where a total extraperitoneal robot assisted renal transplant recipient surgery was performed. ⋯ TERT is a technically demanding procedure that closely resemble open technique while imparting the benefits of minimally invasive surgery to the patient.