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Since its inception, the surgical robot system with technical advantages has quickly become a new trend in surgery, and has been widely used at home and abroad. A large number of retrospective studies and a small number of randomized controlled studies have shown that compared with traditional laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery presented some improvements, such as lower conversion rate, less urinary and sexual dysfunction, and less intraoperative blood loss, though more convincing evidence is needed. Robotic colorectal cancer surgery started late in China, but developed rapidly. Not only the number of surgeries has increased rapidly, but also many new surgeries have been innovated. Meanwhile, many problems emerged, such as lack of unified technical specifications, and excessive dependence on imported surgical robot equipment. Through high-quality clinical researches and big data analyses, the formulation of standardization, the establishment of training system, and the combination of medicine, research and production, robotic surgery will continue to lead the development trend of surgery in the new era.

Since its introduction in China, the rapid development of robotic surgical system has brought a new trend in gastrointestinal surgery. Although clinical trials have proven its safety and effectiveness compared with traditional laparoscopic surgery, robotic gastrointestinal surgery has no obvious advantages in either short-term efficacy or long-term survival after surgery. Significantly increased costs have not brought corresponding clinical benefits, and that has limited robotic surgery to become the mainstream option for gastrointestinal surgery. In this paper, the clinical findings of robotic gastrointestinal surgery were reviewed, and the application of robotic surgical system in gastrointestinal surgery should be viewed rationally. The majority of gastrointestinal surgeons should not take the so-called "advanced equipment" as a monopolized asset, but choose surgery methods that the patients can benefit from, doctors are satisfied with, and can reflect the best socioeconomic benefits for the patients. With the development of a new generation of robotic surgical system and the support of more high-quality evidence-based medicine, it is believed that robotic gastrointestinal surgery will go towards a better future along a rational and objective track.

Robotic gastric cancer surgery in China showed a broad application prospects with the development in the past ten years, but there are also prominent issues, such as low penetration, non-standard operation, and lack of high-quality research. This paper surmarizes the history and present situation, problems and consideration as well as future prospects of robotic gastric cancer surgery in China. The development of robotic gastric cancer surgery in China can be divided into three stages: initial exploratory stage (before 2013, the topics were mainly focused on surgical procedures, safety and feasibility of robotic gastrectomy), stable advancing stage (between 2014 and 2017, the number of centers, cases, types of gastrectomy, and clinical research were increased steadily), and rapid advancing stage (since 2018, the number of centers, cases, and clinical research were increased rapidly). The robotic gastric cancer surgery in China is still in the growth period. We should grasp the development direction of robotic gastrectomy and promote the rapid and favorable development of robotic gastric cancer surgery in China, which can bring benefits for patients.

Although the surgical treatment of colorectal disease progresses slowly, with the advancement of minimally invasive surgical techniques, perioperative comprehensive treatment strategies and clinical research in recent years, Chinese colorectal surgery has developed rapidly. Transanal total mesorectal excision, lateral pelvic lymph node dissection,"watch and wait"strategy for clinical complete response of neoadjuvant radiotherapy for rectal cancer, and robotic colorectal surgery are still hot topics in colorectal surgery in recent years. The construction of clinical registry database and clinical research for colorectal cancer surgery are discussed, with a view to combing the development of colorectal surgery for colleagues in the surgical field, and to seek the development of colorectal surgery in China.