Diverticular disease complicated with colovesical fistula: Laparoscopic versus robotic management

Abstract

To justify the use of robotic technology, with its increased cost and longer operative times, future studies will have to show an advantage over laparoscopy. Better visualization and articulated instruments may offer an advantage over laparoscopy in dissecting hard and inflamed tissues in the abdomen and pelvis, thereby resulting in a decrease in conversion rates. Our results suggest that robotic technology may decrease the conversion rate in difficult abdominal operations such as left colectomy for fistulizing diverticular disease. Although the literature shows that robotic surgery is not free of conversions, 14 the advantages of robotic surgery might be of clinical significance in complicated, "high-risk-of-conversion" cases, such as fistulized diverticular disease. © 2014 Maciel et al.