To compare the initial surgical outcomes and learning curve of nerve sparing robotic radical hysterectomy (RRH) to total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (TLRH) in the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer during the first 50 cases. Between Januar...
To compare the initial surgical outcomes and learning curve of nerve sparing robotic radical hysterectomy (RRH) to total laparoscopic radical hysterectomy (TLRH) in the treatment of early-stage cervical cancer during the first 50 cases. Between January 2008 and March 2012, 50 consecutive patients underwent nerve sparing RRH. These patients were compared with a historic cohort of 50 consecutive patients who underwent nerve sparing TLRH between November 2003 and December 2006. Both groups were similar with respect to patients and tumor characteristics. The mean operating time of RRH was significantly longer than that of TLRH (230.1±35.8 minutes vs. 211.2±46.7 minutes; p=0.025). The mean blood loss for the robotic group was significantly lower compared to the laparoscopic group (54.9±31.5 mL vs. 201.9±148.4 mL; p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the mean pelvic lymph nodes between the 2 groups (25.0±9.9 vs. 23.1±10.4; p=0.361). The mean days to normal residual urine were 9.6±6.4 in RRH and 11.0±6.2 in TLRH (p=0.291). The incidence of intraoperative complication was profoundly lower in RRH compare to that of TLRH (0% vs. 8%; p=0.041). In both groups, we did not reach the learning curve during the first 50 cases. During learning curve period, surgical outcomes and complication rates of RRH were comparable to those of TLRH. Moreover, the mean blood loss and intraoperative complication rate of the robotic group were significantly lower than those of the laparoscopic group.