Initial experience of single-incision robotic surgery for distal gastrectomy with da Vinci Xi platform

The aim of this study was to describe technical considerations and short-term outcomes from the first reported single-incision robotic operation for distal gastrectomy with the use of da Vinci Xi surgical system. A 71-year-old patient with a body-mass index of 22.4 ​kg/m2 was treated for a gastrointestinal stromal tumor(GIST) in the posterior wall of the gastric antrum by single-incision robot-assisted distal gastrectomy with the da Vinci Xi robotic system on September 17, 2022 in Shanghai General Hospital. The single-incision da Vinci Xi robot-assisted distal gastrectomy was successfully performed with intraperitoneal Billroth Ⅱ anastomosis. The console time among the operation was 100 ​min with 10 ​ml of intraoperative blood loss. The patient was put on a liquid diet the next day after surgery and discharged on postoperative day 4. During the postoperative period, no severe adverse events occurred. The final pathology revealed a low-risk gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) with a size of 5.0 ​× ​3.5 ​× ​2.5 ​cm. Single-incision da Vinci Xi robot-assisted distal gastrectomy was a safe and feasible surgical method for patients with gastric tumor. The study filled in the corresponding research gaps and provided a basis for subsequent research. To verify its superior operative outcomes, further clinical trials are needed.