Updates in robotic colorectal surgery

Since the introduction of master-slave manipulators (otherwise known as telemanipulators) in 1990, minimally invasive surgery paved the way for the development of the first robotic surgical systems to overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery. The robotic system over the last decade has rapidly gained acceptance and popularity among surgeons, especially colorectal surgeons around the world. Advantages of robotic surgical systems includes superior instrumentation and stable field of vision which enable precise dissection in confined spaces such as the pelvis. The feasibility and safety of robotic rectal surgery is now well established and there is increasing evidence that it might offer superior perioperative and postoperative outcomes when compared to laparoscopic rectal surgery. Robotic rectal surgery is easier to learn than laparoscopic surgery and the creation of a structured training program for robotic rectal surgery in Europe and USA has facilitated the learning of this technique in an environment that promotes patient safety and improved patient outcomes through equipment fidelity and operator skills. It is foreseeable that in the near future robotic systems will become part of routine surgical practice in colorectal surgery.