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Background: This study aims to compare clinical outcomes and financial cost of intraperitoneal onlay mesh (IPOM) versus retromuscular (RM) repairs in robotic incisional hernia repairs (rIHR)., Methods: Patients who underwent either IPOM or RM elective rIHR from 2012 to 2022 were included. Demographics, operative details, postoperative outcomes, and hospital costs were directly compared., Results: Sixty-nine IPOM and 55 RM were included. Age and body mass index (BMI) did not differ between both groups (IPOM vs RM: 59.3 ± 11.2 years vs. 57.5 ± 14 years, p = 0.423; BMI 34.1 ± 6.3 vs. BMI 33.2 ± 6.9, p = 0.435, respectively). Comorbidities and hernia characteristics were comparable. Extensive lysis of adhesions (> 30 min) was required more often in IPOM (18 vs. 6 in RM, p = 0.034). Defect closure was achieved in 100% of RM vs. 81.2% in IPOM (p < 0.001). Median (interquartile range) postoperative pain score was higher in RM than in IPOM [5(3-7) vs. 4(3-5), respectively, p = 0.006]. Median length of stay (0 day) and same-day discharge rate did not differ between groups (p = 0.598, p = 0.669, respectively). Six (8.7%) patients in the IPOM group versus one (1.8%) patient in the RM group were readmitted to hospital within 30 days postoperatively (p = 0.099). Perioperative complications were higher in IPOM (p = 0.011; 34.8% vs. 14.5% in RM) with higher Comprehensive Complication Index® morbidity scores [0(0-12.2) vs 0(0-0) in RM, p = 0.008)], Clavien-Dindo grade-II complications (8 vs 0 in RM, p = 0.009), and surgical site events (17 vs. 5 in RM, p = 0.024). Within a follow-up period of 57(± 28) months, recurrence rates were similar between both groups. Hospital costs did not differ between groups [IPOM: $9978 (7031-12,926) vs. RM: $8961(6701-11,222), p = 0.300]. Although postoperative complication costs were higher in IPOM ($2436 vs RM: $161, p = 0.020), total costs were comparable [IPOM: $12,415(8700-16,130) vs. RM: $9123(6789-11,457), p = 0.080]., Conclusion: Despite retromuscular repairs having lower postoperative complications than intraperitoneal onlay mesh repairs, both techniques offered encouraging results in robotic incisional hernia repair at a comparable total cost., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic strained the health care sector, putting severe constraints on surgical departments. In this study, we evaluate the impact of the pandemic on the outcomes of patients undergoing robotic cholecystectomy (RC)., Patients and Methods: Patients who underwent RC 1 year before and after March 2020 were included in this retrospective study and assigned accordingly to the pre or post-COVID group. Pre, intra, and postoperative variables were compared between groups., Results: In total, 110 patients were assigned to the pre-COVID group versus 80 in the post-COVID group. There were no differences in the demographics, except for a higher rate of previous gallbladder disease in the pre-COVID group (35.5% vs 13.8,% P < 0.001). The post-COVID group had a higher rate of emergent RCs (62.5% vs 39.1%, P = 0.002). Operative times were greater in the post-COVID group due to the more frequent participation of clinical fellows in the cases. The median hospital length of stay for both groups was 1 day, with higher rates of same-day discharge (pre-COVID 40.9% vs post-COVID 57.5%, P = 0.028). Complications were comparable between both groups, with no recorded cases of COVID-19 contraction within the virus incubation period. The median follow-up was 10 months for the entire cohort., Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in emergent cases, as well as higher rates of same-day discharge, were recorded, with no impact on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing RC., Competing Interests: O.Y.K. has received a teaching course and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive Surgical, Bard, and W.L. Gore outside the submitted work. The remaining author declares no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The increased digitization in robotic surgical procedures today enables surgeons to quantify their movements through data captured directly from the robotic system. These calculations, called objective performance indicators (OPIs), offer unprecedented detail into surgical performance. In this study, we link case- and surgical step-specific OPIs to case complexity, surgical experience and console utilization, and post-operative clinical complications across 87 robotic cholecystectomy (RC) cases., Methods: Videos of RCs performed by a principal surgeon with and without fellows were segmented into eight surgical steps and linked to patients' clinical data. Data for OPI calculations were extracted from an Intuitive Data Recorder and the da Vinci ® robotic system. RC cases were each assigned a Nassar and Parkland Grading score and categorized as standard or complex. OPIs were compared across complexity groups, console attributions, and post-surgical complication severities to determine objective relationships across variables., Results: Across cases, differences in camera control and head positioning metrics of the principal surgeon were observed when comparing standard and complex cases. Further, OPI differences across the principal surgeon and the fellow(s) were observed in standard cases and include differences in arm swapping, camera control, and clutching behaviors. Monopolar coagulation energy usage differences were also observed. Select surgical step duration differences were observed across complexities and console attributions, and additional surgical task analyses determine the adhesion removal and liver bed hemostasis steps to be the most impactful steps for case complexity and post-surgical complications, respectively., Conclusion: This is the first study to establish the association between OPIs, case complexities, and clinical complications in RC. We identified OPI differences in intra-operative behaviors and post-surgical complications dependent on surgeon expertise and case complexity, opening the door for more standardized assessments of teaching cases, surgical behaviors and case complexities., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

The elderly population are at an increased risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality due to their disease profile. Minimally invasive surgery and in particular the robotic approach may improve the outcomes of cholecystectomy in the elderly. Patients who underwent robotic cholecystectomy (RC) and were older than 65 at the time of the procedure were included in this retrospective study. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables of the whole cohort were initially reported and then compared between three different age ranges. In total, 358 elder patients were included. Mean age ± Standard deviation was 74.5 ± 6.9 years. Males constituted 43% of the cohort. American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores were mostly ASA-3 (64%). One hundred and fifty-seven (43.9%) were emergent procedures. Conversion to open surgery rate was 2.2%. Median hospital length of stay was 2 days. With a mean follow-up of 28 months, overall complication rate was 12.3%. After subdividing into three age groups (A:65-69; B:70-79; C:80 +), we noticed significantly higher comorbidities in group C. Same-day discharge was lower in the older patients. However, overall complications and conversion to open remained comparable between the three groups. This is the first study to investigate the outcomes of RC in patients older than 65. RC provided low conversion and complication rates, that are also comparable between the different age ranges, despite the higher comorbidities in patients older than 80., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

The purpose of this study is to compare the clinical outcomes of robotic ventral hernia repair (RVHR) between smokers and non-smokers. Data for patients undergoing RVHR between 2012 and 2022 were collected. Patients were assigned to either smoking (+) or smoking (-) groups, according to their smoking status in the last 3 months prior to their procedure. Pre-, intra- and postoperative variables including surgical site occurrences (SSO) and infections (SSI), and hernia recurrence were analyzed after a propensity score matching analysis based on the patients' demographics and hernia's characteristics. Each group consisted of 143 patients matched according to their preoperative characteristics. There were no differences in terms of demographics and hernia characteristics. Intraoperative complications occurred at a comparable rate between both groups (p = 0.498). Comprehensive Complication Index ® and all complication grades of the Clavien-Dindo classification were similar between both groups. Surgical site occurrences and infections did not differ either [smoking (+) vs. smoking (-): 7.6% vs 5.4%, p = 0.472; 5 vs. 0, p = 0.060, respectively). Rates of SSOs and SSIs that required any intervention (SSOPI) were similar in both groups [smoking (+): 3.1% vs. smoking (-): 0.8%, p = 0.370]. With a mean follow-up of 50 months for the cohort, recurrences rates were also comparable with 7 recorded in the smoking (-) versus 5 in the smoking (+) group (p = 0.215). Our study showed comparable rates of SSOs, SSIs, SSOPIs, and recurrence between smokers and non-smokers following RVHR. Future studies should compare the open, laparoscopic, and robotic approaches in smokers., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: We sought to study the impact of antithrombotics(antiplatelets and anticoagulants) on robotic ventral hernia repair(RVHR)., Methods: RVHR cases were divided into antithrombotic (AT) (-) and AT (+) groups. After comparing both groups, a logistic regression analysis was performed., Results: 611 patients had no AT-medication. The AT(+) group had 219 patients of which 153 were only on antiplatelets, 52 only on anticoagulants, and 14(6.4%) patients on both antithrombotics. Mean age, American Society of Anesthesiology scores, and comorbidities were significantly higher in the AT(+) group. Intraoperative blood loss was greater in the AT(+) group. Postoperatively, the AT(+) group had greater rates of Clavien-Dindo grade-II and IV-a complications(p=0.001, and p=0.013, respectively), and postoperative hematomas(p=0.013). Mean follow-up was greater than 40 months. Age[Odds Ratio(OR): 1.034] and anticoagulants(OR: 3.121) were associated with increased bleeding-related events., Conclusion: There were no associations between maintained antiplatelet therapy and postoperative bleeding-related events in RVHR whereas age and anticoagulants had the highest association., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Drs. Georges Kaoukabani, Naseem Bou-Ayash, and Fahri Gokcal have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose. Dr. Omar Yusef Kudsi has received a teaching course and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive Surgical, Bard-Davol, and W.L. Gore outside the submitted work., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To establish the learning curve of multiport robotic cholecystectomy (MRC)., Patients and Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing MRC was performed. A cumulative sum analysis helped define the learning curve through the evaluation of skin-to-skin (STS) time and postoperative complications rate. Direct comparison of variables was conducted between the phases., Results: Two hundred forty-five MRC cases were included. Average STS and console times were 50.6 and 29.9 minutes, respectively. Cumulative sum analysis established 3 phases with inflection points at cases 84th and 134th. A significant decrease in STS time was observed between the phases. Middle and late phases encompassed patients with higher comorbidities. Two conversions to open were recorded in the early phase. Postoperative complication rates were comparable among the early (2.5%), middle (6.8%), and late (5.6%) phases ( P = 0.482)., Conclusion: A steady decrease in STS time was observed across the 3 different phases established at the 84th and 134th patients., Competing Interests: O.Y.K. has received teaching course, grant funding, and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive Surgical, Bard, and W.L. Gore outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: As robotic ventral hernia repair(VHR) adoption increases, real-world evidence is needed to ensure appropriate utilization., Methods: Data for open and robotic VHR(OVHR, RVHR) was retrospectively analyzed. Outcomes and costs were compared via inverse probability treatment weighting using propensity scores to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated for RVHR., Results: 675 open and 609 robotic ventral hernia repairs were included. Demographics and hernia characteristics were comparable. Complications rates were lower in RVHR(p < 0.001). Clavien-Dindo grade-III complications were lower in RVHR(13.2% vs. 4.9%, p < 0.001). RVHR resulted in fewer surgical site events(21.5% vs. 12.2%, p < 0.001). Recurrence rates were greater in OVHR(8.9% vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001). The higher RVHR hospital costs (Δ = $2456, p = 0.005) were balanced by the lower post-discharge costs, compared to OVHR(Δ = $799, p = 0.023). Total costs did not differ(Δ = $1656 p = 0.081)., Conclusion: Although hospital costs were higher, post-discharge expenses favored RVHR due to the lower postoperative complications, which lead to comparable total costs to OVHR., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Dr Kudsi reported grants and personal fees from Intuitive Surgical and W.L. Gore during the conduct of the study and personal fees from BD (formerly Bard) and Medtronic outside the submitted work. Drs Kaoukabani, Bou-Ayash, Friedman, Vallar, Crawford and Gokcal have no conflicts of interest or financial ties to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: As obese adults often suffer from gallbladder disease, more data on postoperative outcomes following robotic cholecystectomy(RC) is needed., Methods: RC candidates with a body mass index(BMI) > 30 kg/m 2 were included. Postoperative course was documented and analyzed. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine possible risk factors associated with complications., Results: 617 patients with a BMI of 35.9 ± 6.4 kg/m 2 were included of which 65 had complicated gallbladders (gangrenous, fistulated, or abscessed). Eight cases were converted to open. Sixty-five(10.5%) patients revisited the emergency department within 30 days, and 35(5.7%) were readmitted to the hospital. Average follow-up time was 35 months. Fifty(9.1%) patients experienced complications, eight(1.5%) underwent reoperation. Postoperative complications were associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease[p < 0.001, Odds-Ratio(OR):8.418, 95%-Confidence-interval(CI):4.029-17.585], BMI(p < 0.024, OR:1.045, 95%-CI:[1.006-1.086]), class-III obesity (p < 0.021, OR:2.221, 95%-CI:[1.126-4.379], and complicated gallbladders (p < 0.001, OR:3.659, 95%CI:[1.665-8.041])., Conclusion: This is the first study to establish a link between higher obesity classes and postoperative complications following RC., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and hospital costs associated with two different meshes in robotic transabdominal preperitoneal inguinal hernia repair (IHR). Patients who underwent IHR were assigned to either the polyester self-gripping (PSG) or the polypropylene (PP) group depending on the mesh used. A propensity score matching analysis was performed to obtain balanced populations. Postoperative variables included complications such as surgical site events and recurrences. Hospital costs included all possible expenses generated by the surgery during the hospitalization period. From a database of IHR performed between February 2012 and July 2022, 131 PSG patients were matched to 131 PP repairs. Median operative time was shorter in the PSG group [55 (40-78) vs. 80 (60-116) minutes, p < 0.001]. No intraoperative complications were recorded. Patients who received the PSG mesh experience reduced immediate postoperative pain compared to the PP group. Average follow-up time was 35.2 months in the PSG group vs. 12.5 months in the PP group (p < 0.001). Median Comprehensive Complication Index was comparable in both groups (p = 0.489), with no surgical site infections logged. No cases of chronic pain were noted. Only two recurrences were recorded in the cohort, both of them in the PSG repairs. Hospital costs were USD $232 higher in the PP group but did not statistically differ (p = 0.523). There were no differences between the polyester self-gripping and the polypropylene mesh in terms of postoperative complications, clinical outcomes and hospital costs. Surgeons may opt for either meshes depending on their preferences and familiarity with each of the products., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag London Ltd., part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Minimally invasive surgery has significantly improved cosmesis and clinical outcomes after either laparoscopic or robotic cholecystectomy. In an effort to minimize the number of incisions in multiport procedures, single-site approaches have been developed. However, single-site robotic cholecystectomy (SSRC) can be technically challenging for novice surgeons. The goal of this study is to establish the learning curve (LC) of SSRC through an assessment of operative times and clinical outcomes., Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing SSRC over a period of 5 years was performed. Consecutive cholecystectomy cases were assessed based on the procedure setting (elective vs. emergent). Cumulative sum analysis were used to establish the LC through an evaluation of the skin-to-skin (STS) time and postoperative complications rate. Afterward, a direct comparison was performed between the established phases., Results: This study included a total of 259 SSRCs with an overall mean STS time of 41.1 minutes. Elective cases took on average of 38.8 minutes, whereas emergent cases spanned over 60.5 minutes ( P= 0.005). The cumulative sum-LC was obtained by summing the differences between each procedure's STS time, revealing a quadratic best-fit line maximum and an inflection point between the early and late phases at case 91. A significant difference between STS time was seen between the early and late phases (53.8 vs. 30.0 min, P< 0.0001). There were no significant differences in terms of postoperative complications between the 2 phases. Incisional hernia rates were comparable between the 2 phases (early: 4.4% vs. late: 2.5%, P< 0.461)., Conclusions: This is the largest study to assess the LC of SSRC through operative time and clinical outcomes. A steady decrease in STS time was observed during the completion of the first 91 consecutive cases., Competing Interests: O.Y.K. has received teaching course, grant funding, and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive Surgical, Bard, and W.L. Gore outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Advancement in surgery has shifted numerous procedures to a same-day discharge (SDD) setting. In this study, we evaluated factors related to SDD after robotic transversus abdominis release (rTAR). Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained hernia databank was performed. Patients who underwent rTAR for incisional hernias were assigned to either the SDD group (length of stay [LOS] <1) or the inpatient group (LOS ≥1 day). Pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables were compared. Predictors of SDD were explored through a logistic regression, and a mediation analysis was performed to assess their effect on the LOS. Results: Out of the 167 patients included, 53 patients were discharged the same day. Age, American Society of Anesthesiologists score, history of coronary artery disease, and wound infection were significantly higher in the inpatient group. Overall, median LOS was 1 (0-2). Postoperative complications did not differ between SDD and inpatient groups except for Clavien-Dindo Grade-II (1 versus 14, respectively; P  = .039). Thirty-day readmission rates were comparable ( P  = .229). A binary logistic regression to predict factors associated with SDD rTAR showed statistical significance in age, operative time, mesh area, and history of wound infection. Mediation analysis showed that mesh size indirectly affected the LOS through the operative time ( a  = 0.54; b = 0.46; P  < .001). An age >46-year-old, an operative time beyond 217 minutes, and a mesh size >475 cm 2 increased the probability of an inpatient stay (area-under-the-receiver operating characteristic curves: 0.69, 0.81, and 0.82, respectively). Conclusion: The pre- and intraoperative factors associated with SDD rTAR were age, history of wound infection, operative time, and mesh area. Further studies are needed to investigate the appropriateness of discharge decisions while balancing patients' benefits, resource utilization, and costs.

Background: Ventral hernia remains as one of the most performed procedures worldwide. With the aging of the population and increasing comorbidities, it is common for ventral hernia to coexist with other pathologies that require surgery. Patients may opt for concomitant repairs while undergoing ventral hernia surgery. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the clinical outcomes of robotic ventral hernia repair (RVHR) in patients undergoing concomitant repairs., Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent RVHR with concomitant repairs over a period of 9 years were included in this retrospective study. Pre, intra, and postoperative variables including the patient's demographics, hernia characteristics, complications, and hernia recurrence were reported. Univariate analysis was performed to evaluate potential variables associated with increased risk of postoperative complications., Results: A total of 109 (33% females) patients were included in this study. Mean age and body mass index were 59.9±12.7 years and 30.5±5.7 kg/m 2 , respectively. Concomitant repairs were mostly abdominal wall procedures (inguinal hernia repairs, 88.1%). Other procedures included nonabdominal wall surgeries. Incisional hernia repairs were higher than primary repairs (55% vs 45%, respectively). Median operative time and hospital length of stay were 145 min (102 to 245) and 1 day (0 to 1), respectively. Mean postoperative follow-up was 39.2 (4.1 to 93.6) months. In total, 24 patients had postoperative complications, out of which 16 (14.7%) were Clavien-Dindo grade I and II, and 10 (9.2%) were grade III and IV. Nine patients had surgical site events, and two recurrences were recorded. Postoperative complications were associated with incisional hernias [Odds ratio (OR)=8.4; P =0.003; 95% CI=2.092-33.423], nonabdominal wall concomitant procedures (OR=5.9; P =0.013; 95% CI=1.453-24.451), and history of wound infection (OR=3.473; P =0.047; 95% CI=1.016-11.872)., Conclusions: This is the first study to report outcomes of concomitant repairs with RVHR, with notable Clavien-Dindo grade III and IV complications of 9%. Incisional hernia repairs, nonabdominal wall procedures, and a history of wound infection were risk factors for postoperative complications., Competing Interests: O.Y.K. has received a teaching course and/or consultancy fees from Intuitive Surgical, Bard, and W.L. Gore outside the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Although the advantages of laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair (LIHR) have been described, guidelines regarding robotic inguinal hernia repair (RIHR) have yet to be established, despite its increased adoption as a minimally invasive alternative. This study compares the largest single-center cohorts of LIHR and RIHR and aims to shed light on the differences in outcomes between these two techniques., Methods: Patients who underwent LIHR or RIHR over an 8-year period were included as part of a retrospective analysis. Variables were stratified by preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative timeframes. Complications were listed according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system and comprehensive complication index (CCI®). Study groups were compared using univariate analyses and Kaplan-Meier's time-to-event analysis., Results: A total of 1153 patients were included: 606 patients underwent LIHR, while 547 underwent RIHR. Although demographics and comorbidities were mostly similar between the groups, the RIHR group included a higher proportion of complex hernias. Operative times were in favor of LIHR (42 vs. 53 min, p < 0.001), while RIHR had a smaller number of peritoneal breaches (0.4 vs. 3.8%, p < 0.001) as well as conversions (0.2 vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001). The number of patients lost-to-follow-up and the average follow-up times were similar (p = 0.821 and p = 0.304, respectively). Postoperatively, CCI® scores did not differ between the two groups (median = 0, p = 0.380), but Grade IIIB complications (1.2 vs. 3.3%, p = 0.025) and recurrences (0.8% vs. 2.9%, p = 0.013) were in favor of RIHR. Furthermore, estimated recurrence-free time was higher in the RIHR group [p = 0.032; 99.7 months (95% CI 98.8-100.5) vs. 97.6 months (95% CI 95.9-99.3)., Conclusion: This study demonstrated that RIHR may confer advantages over LIHR in terms of addressing more complex repairs while simultaneously reducing conversion and recurrence rates, at the expense of prolonged operation times. Further large-scale prospective studies and trials are needed to validate these findings and better understand whether RIHR offers substantial clinical benefit compared with LIHR., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the healthcare sector and forced hospitals to limit the number of elective procedures with the goal of reducing overcrowding of wards and thus viral transmission. Recent trends for ventral hernia repair have shifted towards retromuscular techniques, which normally require a longer length of stay. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on clinical outcomes of robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair (rRVHR)., Methods: Patients who underwent rRVHR up to 600 days before and after March 10, 2020, were included in this retrospective study and assigned to the pre- or post-COVID group depending on the date of their procedure. Pre-, intra-, and postoperative variables including patients' demographics, hernia characteristics, complications, and hernia recurrence were compared between both groups., Results: 153 (46% female) and 141 (51% female) patients were assigned to the pre- and post-COVID groups respectively. Median age was statistically different between both groups [pre-COVID: 57 (48-68) vs. post-COVID 55 (42-64) years, p = 0.045]. Median hospital length of stay (LOS) was 0 day (0-1) in both groups, and same day discharge were 61% pre-pandemic and 70% post-pandemic (p = 0.09). Mean postoperative follow-up was 39.2 (4.1-93.6) months. In total, 26 pre-COVID patients had postoperative complications, out of which 7 were pulmonary complications, whereas 23 complications were recorded in the post-COVID group, with only 3 pulmonary complications (p = 0.88). Rate of surgical-site events was comparable between both groups, and no recurrences were recorded., Conclusion: This is the first study to describe the impact of the COVID-19 on rRVHR. Hospital LOS was comparable between both groups. Rates of medical and hernia specific complications were not altered by the pandemic., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background and Objectives: To estimate the average treatment effect on the treated (ATT) and to assess the clinical outcomes in two different types of mesh in robotic Rives-Stoppa (rRS) ventral hernia repair (VHR)., Methods: A retrospective analysis of a robotic VHR database between February 1, 2013 and May 31, 2022. Patients who underwent a rRS VHR were included in this study and separated into two groups depending on the mesh used: Synecor TM Preperitoneal Biomaterial (Synecor TM Pre) and Bard™ Soft. Through propensity score and inverse-probability-treatment-weighting, the ATT was estimated for two scenarios; the first with the treated target having used the Synecor TM Pre, the second having used the Bard™ Soft mesh. Adjusted linear regression models, including lingering imbalanced variables, were used for both the primary outcome of the Comprehensive Complication Index (CCI®), and the secondary outcome of the hospital cost., Results: A total of 186 patients who underwent rRS were separated into the two groups (Synecor TM Pre mesh, n = 85; Bard™ Soft mesh, n = 101). Adjusted linear regression models for the CCI showed no statistical difference between both groups (p > 0.05), whereas ATT on hospital cost was significantly higher ( p < 0.001) in the Synecor TM Pre group in both scenarios [(95% confidence interval) = 3882 (2352, 5413) and -5185 (-8213, -2157), respectively]., Conclusion: Both mesh materials provided excellent outcomes with no difference in complications or recurrence rates. However, hospital cost was found to be higher in the hybrid mesh group. Long-term follow-up is needed to fully assess the performance of both mesh types in rRS., (© 2022 by SLS, Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to prospectively evaluate surgical and quality of life (QoL) outcomes of robotic retromuscular ventral hernia repair (rRMVHR) using a new hybrid mesh in high-risk patients., Methods: Data was prospectively collected for patients classified as high-risk based on the modified ventral hernia working group (VHWG) grading system, who underwent rRMVHR using Synecor™ Pre hybrid mesh in a single center, between 2019 and 2020. Pre-, intra- and postoperative variables including hernia recurrence, surgical site events (SSE), hernia-specific quality of life (QoL), and financial costs were analyzed. QoL assessments were obtained from preoperative and postoperative patient visits. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed to analyze the estimated recurrence-free time., Results: Fifty-two high-risk patients, with a mean (±SD) age of 58.6 ± 13.7 years and BMI of 36.9 ± 6.6 kg/m 2 , were followed for a mean (±SD) period of 22.4 ± 7.1 months. A total of 11 (21.2%) patients experienced postoperative complications, out of which eight were SSEs, including 7 (13.5%) seromas, 1 (1.9%) hematoma, and no infections. Procedural interventions were required for 2 (3.8%) surgical site occurrences. Recurrence was seen in 1 (1.9%) patient. The estimated mean (95% confidence interval) recurrence-free time was 33 (32.3-34.5) months. Postoperative QoL assessments demonstrated significant improvements in comparison to preoperative QoL, with a minimum ∆mean (±SD) of -15.5 ± 2.2 at one month (p < 0.001). The mean (±SD) procedure cost was $13,924.18 ± 7856.95 which includes the average mesh cost ($5390.12 ± 3817.03)., Conclusion: Our study showed favorable early and mid-term outcomes, in addition to significant improvements in QoL, after rRMVHR using Synecor™ hybrid mesh in high-risk patients., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)