3050 - Feasibility of robot-assisted surgery in elderly patients with rectal cancer

Background

Although surgical resection is the main treatment for rectal cancer, the optimal surgical protocol for elderly patients with rectal cancer remains controversial. Robot-assisted surgery has the following advantages: smaller wounds, less blood loss, quicker recovery, early recovery, and high rate of anal preservation. This study evaluated the feasibility of robot-assisted surgery in elderly patients with rectal cancer.

Methods

This retrospective study enrolled 125 patients aged 28–93 years diagnosed with stage I–III rectal cancer who underwent robot-assisted surgery between May 2013 and April 2018 in a single institution.

Results

In total, 125 patients with rectal cancer, including 100 nonelderly (aged <70 years) and 25 elderly (aged ≥70 years) patients, who underwent robot-assisted surgery were recruited. Between the patient groups, the incidence of overall postoperative complications and postoperative length of hospital stay did not differ significantly (p = 0.930 and 0.095, respectively). No surgical related deaths were noted. The disease-free and overall survival did not differ significantly between the 2 groups (p = 0.610 and 0.298, respectively).

Conclusions

Robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer is an appropriate approach that is well tolerated in elderly patients, with similar results as for the non-elderly patients. Oncological outcomes, including postoperative complications and survival, did not depend on patient age. Thus, in elderly patients, robot-assisted surgery is a safe and feasible surgical modality for treating operable rectal cancer and leads to age-independent postoperative outcomes.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

Wei-Chih Su.

Funding

Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.