Short and longterm outcome of minimally invasive therapy of median arcuate ligament syndrome

Purpose Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disorder caused by compression of the celiac artery (CA) by the median arcuate ligament (MAL). Common symptoms include postprandial abdominal pain, diarrhea, and weight loss. While laparoscopic MAL division has long been considered the procedure of choice, robotic-assisted procedures have been increasingly used since their introduction. Aim of this study was to evaluate peri- and postoperative outcomes after minimally invasive MAL release. Methods A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing minimally invasive MAL release at the Department of Surgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, between 2014 and 2023 was performed. Results 20 patients met the inclusion criteria and underwent either laparoscopic ( n = 3) or robotic ( n = 17) MAL release. Most common preoperative symptoms were postprandial abdominal pain (90%), weight loss (45%), diarrhea (30%), and nausea (25%). Comparing laparoscopic and robotic surgery, neither the median duration of surgery (minutes: 98 (90–290) vs. 125 (80–254); p = 0.765), the median length of hospital stay (days: 4 (3–4) vs. 5 (3–6); p = 0.179) and intraoperative blood loss (