Abstract
Robotic-assisted surgery is expected to be a technology that enables precise, safe, and minimally invasive surgery with its magnified stereoscopic visualization and multi-joint function. In distal pancreatectomy especially, the superiority of minimally invasive surgery over laparotomy in short-term outcomes has been demonstrated with a high level of evidence, and robotic-assisted surgery is expected to improve long-term outcomes through precision and avoiding laparotomy, as well as to expand its application to patients who have difficulty with laparoscopic surgery. However, pancreaticoduodenectomy has a probable advantage in reconstructive procedures compared to laparoscopic surgery, and evidence is now accumulating. As the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer is undergoing a major shift toward multidisciplinary treatment with potent systemic chemotherapy, total neoadjuvant therapy, and pancreatic resection, sophisticated and minimally invasive robotic-assisted surgery is expected to be highly compatible with these strategies. In the future, clinical studies with a high level of evidence, including randomized controlled trials, are needed to verify the long-term oncologic outcomes.
