Complications of Robotic Total Mesorectal Excision

Since the concept of minimally invasive surgery was introduced, advances in technology have broadened laparoscopic approaches to the gastrointestinal tract. In particular, the development of robotic surgery has provided surgeons with greater comfort and the ergonomic tools necessary to overcome some of the limitations associated with conventional laparoscopic surgery. The da Vinci robotic system has been widely used in urological and gynecologic surgery and has now expanded into gastrointestinal procedures, including colorectal surgery. However, the robotic approach carries its own potential set of complications. This review will summarize the complications associated with robotic-assisted colorectal surgery in the current published report as well as robotic surgical failures seen when using the da Vinci robotic system.