A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate and compare the safety, feasibility and short-term efficacy between robotic and laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer.

A literature search was performed including Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Chinese CNKI, Wanfang and VIP database. The retrieval time was set up to March 2020. NOS score system was used to evaluate literature quality. Statistical analysis was performed using Review Management 5.3 software.

There were 9 relevant literatures that matched the standards, a total of 1 527 patients were included. There were 786 cases (51.5%) in RP group and 741 cases (48.5%) in LP group. The results showed that compared with LP group, RP group had a longer operative time (WMD=36.74, 95%CI=7.84~65.64, P=0.01＜0.05), less intraoperative blood loss (WMD=-20.92, 95% CI=-34.56~-7.28, P=0.003), shorter average length of hospital stay (WMD=0.85, 95% CI=-1.37~0.33, P=0.001), and lower conversion rate(WMD=0.44, 95% CI=0.20~0.98, P=0.04). There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in the number of lymph nodes acquired, the distance between the tumor and the distal cutting edge, the time of first postoperative exhaust, the rate of stoma, and the total incidence of postoperative complications (all P＞0.05).

The robotic of rectal cancer can reduce intraoperative blood loss, reduce the rate of conversion rate, and shorten the average hospital stay, but it has no obvious advantages in the number of lymph nodes acquired, the distance between tumor and distal resection margin, the time of first postoperative exhaust, the rate of stoma, and the total incidence of postoperative complications.