Robotic treatment of bowel endometriosis

Abstract

Over the last 10 years several studies demonstrated the feasibility and safety of robotic-assisted laparoscopy (RAL) in the treatment not only of deep infiltrating endometriosis but also of rectosigmoid endometriosis. RAL has been used to perform all the techniques used to treat bowel endometriosis: shaving, disc excision, and segmental colorectal resection. Similar outcomes have been reported in patients treated by RAL and standard laparoscopy. However, most of these studies are retrospective, they report the surgical outcomes and, sometimes, short-term postoperative follow-up. Unfortunately, long-term postoperative outcomes have not been investigated. In addition, the sample size of most of these studies is very small and, thus, insufficient to detect potential differences between groups.