B Yang, Y Zhu, D Cai, Q Chen, Z Gao

Abstract

Introduction: Meckel's diverticulum is a common gastrointestinal malformation in paediatrics, with limited literature on robotic surgical treatment in children. This study explores robotic surgery in Meckel's diverticulectomy. Methods: A study enrolled 84 children who underwent wedge resection for Meckel's diverticulum in our hospital over the past 6 years. It compared the clinical data, surgical details, and postoperative outcomes of traditional laparoscopic-assisted surgery and robot-assisted surgery. Results: Robot-assisted surgery showed advantages in blood loss and hospital stay duration (P<0.05). No significant differences were found in operative time, fasting time, or postoperative complications between the two types of surgery (P>0.05). Notably, robot-assisted surgery costs significantly more than laparoscopic-assisted surgery (P<0.05). Conclusions: Robot-assisted wedge resection for Meckel's diverticulum in children offers reduced bleeding, shorter hospital stays, and no additional complications. Nevertheless, its primary disadvantage is the high cost.