Application of da Vinci robots in the surgery of selected human cancers

Abstract

The discovery of da Vinci surgical systems significantly contributed to cancer surgeries worldwide, however, the clinical and oncological outcomes are still debatable. Many retrospective studies have highlighted the advantage of robotic surgery over laparoscopic or open surgical procedures for various cancers, however, more multicentered, coordinated, random clinical trials must be conducted to outline the specific advantages of da Vinci robots. They have been widely used in cancer surgeries, however, higher operative cost and comparable oncological outcomes with laparoscopic approaches further forced manufacturers to come up with affordable and efficient specialized robotic surgery systems. Nevertheless, robotic surgery using da Vinci robots has been widely accepted for hysterectomy and prostatectomy over the laparoscopic procedure and this review briefly discusses da Vinci robots in the surgery of various human cancers and their clinical outcomes.