Comparison of pediatric choledochal cyst excisions with open procedures, laparoscopic procedures and robot-assisted procedures: a retrospective study

Background The main treatment of choledochal cysts is the complete resection of the cyst with Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy, which includes open procedures, laparoscopic procedures, and robot-assisted procedures using a da Vinci surgical system. The aim of this current study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of these three different surgical methods in pediatric choledochal cyst excisions. Methods Between January 2015 and December 2018, patients with choledochal cysts treated with open procedures, laparoscopic procedures, or robot-assisted procedures were retrospectively analyzed. The data collected included demographic information of all patients, type and size of cyst, operative details, and postoperative outcomes. Results A total of 371 episodes of patients were enrolled which consist of the open procedures group ( n = 226), laparoscopic procedures group ( n = 104), and robot-assisted procedures group ( n = 41). The operation time was significantly longer in the laparoscopic procedures group (212.79 ± 34.94) than open procedures group (115.88 ± 13.50) and robot-assisted procedures group (180.61 ± 14.07) ( p