Risk Factors of Postoperative Intra-Abdominal Infectious Complications After Robotic Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer

Abstract Background Robotic surgery is regarded as an evolved type of laparoscopic surgery. Few studies have undertaken detailed analysis of complications following robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods This is a single-center retrospective study of 149 consecutive patients with gastric cancer who underwent robotic gastrectomy. It examines in detail the postoperative complications in robotic gastrectomy for gastric cancer, focusing on intra-abdominal infectious complications including anastomotic leakage, pancreatic fistula and intra-abdominal abscess. We also aim to identify the related risk factors. Results The median operation time was 299 min and median bleeding was 25 ml. The incidence of overall complications higher than grade II was 8.7%. Clinically serious complications higher than grade IIIa occurred in 6.7% of cases. The incidence of intra-abdominal infectious complications that were higher than grade II was 4.0%. Mortality in our consecutive series was zero. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated that postoperative intra-abdominal infectious complications were significantly associated with history of abdominal surgery ( P = 0.043), with odds ratios of 17.890 (95 % confidence interval 1.092 – 293.150) and with non-curative resection ( P = 0.025), with odds ratios of 58.629 (95 % confidence interval 1.687 – 2037.450). Conclusion Robotic gastrectomy was shown to be a safe and effective treatment for gastric cancer when performed by experienced surgeons. Attention should be paid to the risk of developing postoperative complications when performing robotic gastrectomy in gastric cancer patients with a history of abdominal surgery and in patients with advanced gastric cancer in whom there is expected to be difficulty in curative resection.