COMPARISON OF SURGICAL OUTCOMES IN LAPAROSCOPIC VS ROBOTIC CHOLECYSTECTOMY

Abstract

Objective: To compare the outcomes (in-terms of conversion to open cholecystectomy and mean hospital stay) of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) with robotic cholecystectomy (RC). Methods: This comparative study was conducted in the general surgery unit of Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi from March 2025 to May 2025. We included patients who were planned for elective cholecystectomy. We included 90 patients and divided them into two equal groups. In group A patients; LC was performed. In group B patients; RC was performed. Conversion to open cholecystectomy and hospital stay were primary study outcomes. Results: The mean age of participants in the LC group was 47.38 (±14.2) years, while the RC group had a mean age of 45.9 (±13.4) years (p-value 0.63). Regarding conversion to open cholecystectomy, 3 (6.7%) patients in the LC group underwent conversion compared to 1 (2.2%) in the RC group (P-value 0.31). However, when examining the mean hospital stay, the RC group demonstrated a significantly shorter duration, averaging 1.4 days (±0.7), compared to 2.1 days (±0.9) for the LC group (P-value < 0.0001). Conclusion: Robotic cholecystectomy is safer and is associated with shorter hospital stay in comparison to laparoscopic cholecystectomy. So, the present study results support replacing the laparoscopic approach with the robotic approach for cholecystectomy.