Rates of Minimally Invasive Surgery After Introduction of Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Common General Surgery Operations

Importance: Many patients who would benefit from minimally invasive surgery (MIS) have open surgery; robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) addresses some of the limitations of laparoscopic surgery and could increase rates of MIS across different patient populations. Objective: To determine whether the introduction of RAS increases MIS rates and whether increases are seen across different patient populations undergoing common general surgery procedures. Design: A retrospective cohort study was performed to compare rates of MIS in the year before and after the index date for hospitals that did and did not introduce RAS. Generalized estimating equation regression models were used to compare rates in MIS over time. Setting: PINC AI Healthcare Database, an all-payor discharge database of hospitals in the United States. Participants: Hospitals that performed cholecystectomy, inguinal hernia repair, ventral hernia repair, and colorectal resection from 2016 to 2022.