Preliminary Experience of Partial Nephrectomy Through a New Single-Port Surgical Robot System

Purpose: To explore the preliminary safety and efficacy of the Shurui single-port (SP) surgical robot in partial nephrectomy (PN). Methods: This study prospectively enrolled patients with T1a renal tumors who met the inclusion criteria from February to July 2022 in The First Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University. The operative outcomes and perioperative data, including clinical and histological data, were prospectively collected and analyzed. Results: A total of 13 patients were included in this study, including 7 males and 6 females. The median age was 53 (33-74) years, and the average body mass index was 24.9 ± 4.2 kg/m2. There were 6 cases of left kidney tumors and 7 cases of right kidney tumors in the 13 patients. The average tumor diameter was 1.9 ± 0.9 cm. In all operations, the diseased tissue was removed according to the established surgical plan. The average warm ischemia time was 26.2 ± 9.7 minutes; the average device docking time was 3.6 ± 1.8 minutes; and the average robotic arm operation time was 124.7 ± 40.4 minutes. All operations were successfully completed; there was no conversion to open surgery during the operation; and no operation holes were added. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) score was 26.3 ± 2.6 points, and no device-related adverse events occurred during the operation. The median time to discharge was 6 days (range, 4-11 days). Postoperative pathological examination showed that all tumor margins were negative. There were no Clavien grade ≥3 surgical complications in any of the patients during the perioperative period or at the 1-month postoperative follow-up. Conclusion: The new SP surgical robot system is safe, effective, flexible, and stable for application in PN.