Trends in robotic surgery in Korean gynecology

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to discover the trends of robotic surgery in gynecology since the introduction of robotic surgery platforms in Korea. Methods: Data for the use of robotic surgery in gynecologic diseases were collected from the 14 hospitals that perform most of the robotic gynecologic surgeries in Korea. Records of robotic surgeries from between 2006 and 2019 were selected (n=12,405), and data including diagnoses, approach methods, and names of surgical procedures were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed, including a trend test. Results: Overall, robotic surgery in gynecology showed an increasing trend (Spearman correlation coefficient r=0.99, P<0.001). The common cases in which robotic surgery was used for benign diseases were uterine leiomyoma, adnexal tumors, and adenomyosis, which accounted for 68%, 17%, and 9% of benign cases, respectively. Common malignant diseases were cervical cancer, endometrial cancer, and ovarian cancer, accounting for 55%, 35%, and 5% of malignant cases, respectively. This increasing trend was significantly evident in uterine leiomyoma, both single-site and multiport approaches. Conclusion: Since robotic surgical platforms were introduced in Korea, the number of gynecologic robotic surgeries has grown rapidly. Considering these data, the use of robotic surgery is expected to grow continuously for both benign and malignant gynecological diseases. A large amount of minimal invasive surgeries are expected to be replaced with robotic surgeries.