No abstract

A pediatric robotic pyeloplasty has been performed with the Senhance® robotic system for the first time in January 2021 on a 1.5-year-old girl with symptomatic ureteropelvic junction stenosis. A Senhance® robotic system (Asensus Surgical® Inc., Durham, NC, USA) with three arms and 5 mm instruments was used, providing infrared eye tracking of the 5 mm camera and haptic feedback for the surgeon, facilitating suturing of the anastomosis and double-J stent insertion. The robotic surgery lasted 4.5 h, was uneventful and successful, without recurrence of the ureteropelvic junction obstruction after six months, and with normal development of the patient’s growth and organ function. The use of the robotic system was shown to be safe and feasible; long term follow-up will be conducted subsequently in pediatric surgery.

The Senhance Robotic System™ (Asensus Surgical, Durham, NC, USA) has been used in abdominal surgery since 2016, and provides an eye-tracker for camera movement and haptic tactile feedback. Safety aspects are very important in robotic surgery, such as regarding the presence of system malfunctions and surgical outcomes. The data for robotic function in gastrointestinal surgical procedures in 530 patients (colorectal surgery, fundoplication, others) were prospectively listed in the TRUST registry after informed patient consent in three German gastrointestinal surgery centers (center A, N = 46 patients; center B, N = 457; center C, N =27). Adverse events were noted in 14.3% (76/530 patients) of the overall surgeries, with an equal distribution among the procedures. Robotic malfunctions, such as console/camera/arm malfunctions, collisions, or limited motion, were experienced in 5.5 % (29/530 patients), with some differences among the centers (A, 0.0%; B, 4.2%; C, 37%). These differences were explained in terms of team experience and case load. In conclusion, the Senhance™ Robotic System can be safely applied to routine abdominal surgery procedures.