Adoption and expansion of robotic surgery across General Surgery in the United Kingdom: a 10-year procedure-specific analysis (2015–2024)

Robotic surgery (RS) has become an increasingly integral component of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) within General Surgery (GS) over the past 20 years. However, national-level data describing its adoption remain limited. This study provides the first procedure-specific analysis of RS utilization and growth trends of GS procedures within the United Kingdom (UK). Freedom of Information requests were submitted to 153 UK hospitals, requesting annual procedure specific data on six common robotically performed surgeries (colectomy, anterior resection/abdominoperineal resection [AR/APR], cholecystectomy, hernia repair, fundoplication, and gastrectomy) from 2015 to 2024. Stratified data by open, laparoscopic and robotic approaches were provided and analysed for trends using linear regression across centres that provided complete 10-year datasets. 70 trusts provided data totalling 1,054,576 procedures. Robotic utilisation increased markedly from 0.4% in 2015 to 7.0% in 2024 (12.8% of MIS). The largest proportional increases were observed in colectomies (+ 5,240%) and AR/APRs (+ 1,517%). Significant positive trends were detected for robotic approaches in 5 of 6 procedures. Open surgery demonstrated a significant trend (r =-0.77, P < 0.05), while laparoscopic approaches remained stable. Median institutional RS volume in 2024 was 84 cases (IQR 48–155), with wide inter-centre variability. RS within UK GS has expanded substantially, particularly in colorectal procedures, accelerating growth suggesting RS may soon become the dominant minimally invasive modality. Nonetheless, utilisation remains low in high-volume procedures such as cholecystectomy and hernia repair. Standardised data collection, formal training frameworks, and cost-effectiveness evaluation will be essential to support safe and equitable expansion of RS across the UK.