to analyze the initial learning curve (Lc) for robot-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy (RApD) and compare RApD during the initial Lc with open pancreaticoduodenectomy (opD) in terms of outcome. this study is a retrospective review of patients who consecutively underwent RApD and opD between October 2015 and January 2020 in our hospital. 41 consecutive RAPD cases and 53 consecutive open cases were enrolled for review. Compared with OPD, RAPD required a significantly longer operative time (401.1 ± 127.5 vs. 230.8 ± 44.5 min, P < 0.001) and higher cost (194621 ± 78342 vs. 121874 ± 39973 CNY, P < 0.001). Moreover, compared with the OPD group, the RAPD group revealed a significantly smaller mean number of lymph nodes harvested in malignant cases (15.6 ± 5.9 vs 18.9 ± 7.3, P = 0.025). No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of incidence of Clavien-Dindo grade III-V morbidities and 90-day mortality and readmission (p>0.05). In the CUSUM graph, one peak point was observed at the 8th case, after which the operation time began to decrease. LC for RAPD may be less than 30 cases, and RAPD is safe and feasible during the initial Lc. Although pancreatectomy was first performed 80 years ago, it remains a challenging abdominal surgery with relatively high morbidity and mortality 1. Laparoscopic pancreaticoduodenectomy (LPD) was first reported in 1994 by Gagner 2 ; today, this procedure could be performed as safely as open pancreaticoduodenectomy (OPD) by skilled surgeons 3,4. However, the long learning curve (LC) for LPD continues to challenge many surgeons. In general, LPD presents intrinsic disadvantages compared with conventional laparotomy, including instrument motion, two-dimensional imaging, poor surgeon ergonomics, and a long LC. In 2000, the Da Vinci system was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. In 2003, Giulianotti et al. published a case series verifying the feasibility of robotic pancreatectomy; the series included eight robot-assisted pancreaticoduodenectomy (RAPD) and five robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RADP) cases 5. Robotic surgery is an advanced minimally invasive surgical technique that has several benefits in pancreaticoduodenectomy, such as enhanced three-dimensional vision, application of EndoWrist instruments (which have a great range of motion), and a short LC. However, the safety of RAPD during the initial LC and the possible shortening of the LC remain unclear. Therefore, this article addresses the LC of a single surgical team in our hospital. Methods patient Selection. This study is a retrospective research on pancreaticoduodenectomy conducted by a single surgical team. Our team had performed over 200 OPD before