Background

The introduction of robotics into bariatric surgery is a relatively recent innovation. There is a growing body of evidence exploring outcomes; however, the literature thus far has been mixed. Importantly, it is not well established how outcomes differ in patients with BMI<50 vs. BMI>50 kg/m2. This study aims to explore readmission rates after bariatric surgery done robotically compared with laparoscopically in patients stratified by this BMI cutoff at a single center in West Los Angeles between June 2022 and July 2023.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, data were obtained for the outcomes of patients who underwent bariatric surgery at a single center from the hospital database. The patients were operated on by two different bariatric surgeons using robotic or laparoscopic methods. Readmissions rates were compared by procedure in populations with BMI<50 and BMI>50 kg/m2 in patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery compared to robotic surgery using chi-square analyses.

Results

For both robotic and laparoscopic RYGB, readmission rates were higher for patients with BMI>50 kg/m2 compared to those BMI<50 kg/m2. However, there was no significant difference between readmissions for robotic vs. laparoscopic patients. In patients who underwent sleeve gastrectomy, there was similarly no significant difference in readmission rates between robotic and laparoscopic patients (Figure 1). Additionally, complication rates among all procedures were low, with no notable difference between laparoscopic and robotic modalities (Table 1).

Conclusions

Robotics appears to be a safe method for operating on patients with BMI>50 kg/m2, which typically presents a more challenging operation, when comparing readmission rates.