Comparison of Short-Term Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Distal Gastrectomy Using the KangDuo Surgical Robot-01 System and Laparoscopic Gastrectomy

<b><i>Purpose:</i></b> This study aimed to assess the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of a novel robotic surgical system-the KangDuo Surgical Robot-01 (KD-SR-01)-for treating clinical stage I-III distal gastric cancer (GC) by comparing it to conventional laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG). <b><i>Methods:</i></b> From September to December 2023, 15 patients with distal GC underwent gastrectomies using the KD-SR-01 (KD group). An additional 15 cases of LG performed by the same surgeon during the same period were selected as the control group (LG group). Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative data were analyzed and compared between the two groups. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Both groups achieved the same surgical success rate, with no conversions to open surgery. The KD group exhibited significantly less blood loss (30 [20-60] mL versus 50 [30-200] mL, <i>P</i> < .001) and reported a lighter workload (27.5 ± 3.0 versus 30.1 ± 2.6, <i>P</i> = .011) compared to the LG group. Although the operation time in the KD group was significantly longer (213.3 ± 30.1 minutes versus 166.0 ± 32.8 minutes, <i>P</i> < .001), it was not significantly different from the LG group when excluding the device docking time of KD-SR-01 (179.7 ± 24.5 minutes versus 166.0 ± 32.8 minutes, <i>P</i> = .207). There were no significant differences in postoperative hospital stay (7.7 ± 1.5 days versus 7.3 ± .8 days, <i>P</i> = .357) and complication rates (26.7% versus 40.0%, <i>P</i> = .700) between the two groups. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The KD-SR-01 is safe and effective for treating distal GC and may be a viable alternative to conventional LG.