Robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy in obese patients using the SenhanceTM surgical system – evaluation of the feasibility and safety of a new system

Robotic-assisted surgery is widely integrated into several surgery standards. However, conventional laparoscopy still represents the gold standard in bariatric surgery and robotic-assisted surgery is relatively novel. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and safety of the Senhance TM surgical system for robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy in obese patients. Twenty obese patients (BMI: 36-57) underwent elective robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy in the Department for bariatric and metabolic surgery at Sana Hospital Offenbach, Germany. Indication for sleeve gastrectomy followed the general German guidelines of obesity surgery. Median docking time was 7.5 min (4–13), mean console time was 33 min (15-75) and median total operating time was 85 min (47–147). Two cases were converted to conventional laparoscopy (10 %) for bleeding or limited working space, none to open surgery. One complication required reoperation (postoperative hematoma). Median hospitalization time was three days (3–5). The study results underline the feasibility and safety of the Senhance TM surgical system for robotic-assisted sleeve gastrectomy in obese patients.