Impact of Robotic Surgery on Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula for High-Risk Pancreaticojejunostomy after Pancreatoduodenectomy

Introduction: The safety and feasibility of robotic pancreatoduodenectomy (RPD) in high-risk patients for postoperative pancreatic fistula (POPF) have rarely been investigated, although the rate of POPF is lower than in open pancreatoduodenectomy (OPD). This study aimed to examine the impact of robotic surgery on POPF in high-risk patients after pancreatoduodenectomy (PD). Methods: We performed a retrospective study of 204 patients who underwent RPD and OPD between January 2018 and June 2023. Of the 204 patients, 126 with high-risk pancreaticojejunostomies for developing POPF were included. The outcomes of RPD and OPD were compared. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify risk factors associated with the development of clinically relevant POPF (CR-POPF) after surgery. Results: Of the 126 patients, 50 underwent RPD and 76 underwent OPD. The incidence of CR-POPF was significantly lower in the RPD group than in the OPD group (6.0% vs. 38.2%, p < 0.001). Multivariate analyses identified OPD as an independent risk factor associated with CR-POPF (odds ratio [OR]: 7.87, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.11–29.4, p = 0.002). Conclusion: This study demonstrated the impact of robotic surgery on POPF in high-risk patients after PD. These results suggest that RPD may be significantly associated with a decreased incidence of CR-POPF in high-risk anastomoses.