Safety and Feasibility of Single-Port Robotic-Assisted Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy

Abstract

Importance: Robotic-assisted nipple-sparing mastectomies with multiport robots have been described in the US since 2015; however, significant hurdles to multiport robotic surgery exist in breast surgery. Objective: To demonstrate that the single-port da Vinci SP (Intuitive Surgical) robotic system is feasible in patients undergoing robotic nipple-sparing mastectomy (rNSM). Design, Setting, and Participants: An initial case series of 20 patients at a large university hospital underwent bilateral single-port robotic nipple-sparing mastectomies (SPrNSM) with tissue expander reconstruction from February 1, 2020, through January 4, 2023. Participants included women who met surgical criteria for nipple-sparing mastectomies, per standard of care. Intervention: Surgery using a single-port robot and the surgical technique of the authors. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age, indication, body mass index, breast size, operative time, conversion to open surgery, systemic complications, postoperative skin necrosis, and reported skin and nipple areolar complex (NAC) sensation. Results: Twenty women aged 29 to 63 years (median, 40 years) underwent bilateral SPrNSM. Eleven patients completed prophylactic surgery due to a high risk for breast cancer (more than 20% lifetime risk) and 9 patients had breast cancer. Breast size ranged from A through D cup with median B cup and a body mass index range of 19.7 through 27.8 (median 24.4). The total duration of the procedure from incision to skin closure for both sides ranged from 205 minutes to 351 minutes (median, 277). The median robotic time for bilateral SPrNSM was 116 minutes and varied by cup size (A cup, 95 minutes; B cup, 140 minutes; C cup, 118 minutes; D cup, 114 minutes) with no inflection point in learning curve. No cases were converted to open and no immediate complications, such as hematoma, positive margins, or recurrence, were seen. In the first 10 patients prior to routine sensation testing, 20 resected breasts had measurable NAC sensation at a range from 4 to 36 months post-index resection (65%). In the second 10 patients of the cohort, measurable NAC was preserved in 13 of 20 resected breasts 2 weeks following the index operation (65%). Conclusion and Relevance: In this case series, SPrNSM with immediate reconstruction was feasible and performed safely by an experienced breast surgeon with limited previous robotic training. Further studies confirming the preliminary data demonstrating improved NAC and skin sensation following SPrNSM are warranted. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05245812.