Single-Port Robotic System Feasible for Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy

Feb 02, 2024

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The da Vinci single-port (SP) robotic system is feasible for performing nipple-sparing mastectomies, according to a study published online Jan. 17 in JAMA Surgery.

Deborah E. Farr, M.D., from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, and colleagues evaluated the feasibility of using the da Vinci SP (Intuitive Surgical) robotic system for nipple-sparing mastectomies. The analysis included 20 patients (40 breasts) undergoing bilateral single-port robotic nipple-sparing mastectomies (SPrNSM).

The researchers reported that the total duration of the procedure from incision to skin closure for both sides ranged from 205 to 351 minutes (median, 277 minutes). The median robotic time varied by cup size (A cup, 95 minutes; B cup, 140 minutes; C cup, 118 minutes; D cup, 114 minutes), with no inflection point in the learning curve. No cases were converted to open, and there were no immediate complications (e.g., hematoma, positive margins, or recurrence). Among the first 10 patients, 20 resected breasts had measurable nipple areolar complex (NAC) sensation at a range from four to 36 months after the index resection (65 percent), while among the second 10 patients, measurable NAC was preserved in 13 of 20 resected breasts two weeks following the index operation (65 percent).

“SPrNSM with immediate reconstruction was feasible and performed safely by an experienced breast surgeon with limited previous robotic training,” the authors write.

One author reported being a member of the Surgical Safety Technologies Scientific Advisory Board.

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