Robotic surgery in gastrointestinal surgery

Robotic surgery is an emerging technology. After adoption of robotic surgery for cholecystectomy in 1997, various general surgical procedures have been performed using surgical robot. In general surgery, robotic surgery is applied to wide range of procedures, however, it is still in its early years. Cholecystectomy, Nissen fundoplication, Heller myotomy, and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass are the most frequently performed robotic operations. Most reports proved that application of robotic technology for general surgery is technically feasible and safe with the help of improved dexterity, better visualization, and high level of precision. However, still the absence of tactile sense and extremely high costs are the problems to be solved. Although robotic surgery has demonstrated some clear benefits compared to conventional surgeries including laparoscopy, it remains to be seen whether these benefits will outweigh the associated disadvantages or problems of robot surgery. Therefore, more prospective randomized study comparing the shot-term and long-term surgical outcomes between robotic and conventional laparoscopic surgery is needed to further define the impact of robotic surgical technology in general surgery.