Status of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) and the effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19) on RAS in the Department of Defense (DoD)

The purpose of this study is to update the available literature with information on the current use of robotic assisted surgery (RAS) in the Department of Defense (DoD) compared to the civilian world, and how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted RAS in the DoD. A total of 9,979 RAS cases between 01st October 2017 and 31st December 2020 were reviewed from every DoD Military Treatment Facility (MTF) that meets our inclusion criteria and employs various models of da Vinci robotic surgical systems (Intuitive Surgical). Specialty, number, and facility were recorded for each case. These data were then compared to previously known trends about RAS use in the DoD as well as with civilian trends. Before COVID-19, the use of RAS had increased over time, but not at the same rate as in the civilian sector. General surgery cases constituted most RAS cases in both the DoD and the civilian sector. The arrival of COVID-19 in the United States significantly decreased the use of RAS in the DoD as well as in the civilian sector in all surgical specialties because it led to postponement or cancellation of many non-emergent surgical procedures. In conclusion, the use of RAS has continued to increase, and general surgery cases continue to constitute most of these cases. However, since the COVID-19 pandemic began, there was a significant decline in both DoD and civilian RAS cases, with a more pronounced decline in the DoD.