Robot-assisted excision of a large retroperitoneal schwannoma

There are few case reports of retroperitoneal tumor excision using the robotic technique. We describe a case of a 13 × 9 × 7- cm retroperitoneal schwannoma that was excised using robot-assisted surgery to provide a minimally invasive benefit to the patient. A 45-year-old woman presented with a right paracaval retroperitoneal lump with well-defined margins displacing the inferior vena cava, the right kidney, the head of pancreas, and the duodenum. She underwent a robot-assisted excision of the tumor using the da Vinci Si HD surgical system using three robotic arms. The biopsy results revealed a well-encapsulated schwannoma diffusely positive for S100. The patient was discharged on the third postoperative day and was still doing well at 1-month follow-up. Use of robotic technology assists in providing minimally invasive benefits to the patient. It is a safe and effective technique for retroperitoneal surgery.