A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Comparing Surgically-Related Complications between Robotic-Assisted Thyroidectomy and Conventional Open Thyroidectomy

Background Despite gaining popularity, robotic-assisted thyroidectomy (RT) remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed at comparing surgically-related complications between RT and conventional open thyroidectomy (OT). Methods A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify studies comparing surgically-related outcomes between RT and OT. Studies that compared ≥1 surgically-related outcomes between RT and OT were included. Outcomes included operating time, blood loss, complications, and hospital stay. Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed-effects model. Results Eleven studies were eligible but none were randomized controlled trials. Of the 2,375 patients, 839 (35.3 %) underwent RT, while 1,536 (64.7 %) underwent OT. RT was significantly associated with longer operating time ( p