view more
Image link: https://openverse.org/image/8136e05d-831c-46d9-afc1-b91270eebe70?q=robotic-assisted+surgery&p=37
Surgery remains the primary curative treatment for gastric cancer, with laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG) established as a standard minimally invasive approach. While LG offers faster recovery than open surgery, it remains technically demanding because surgeons must operate within a confined space using rigid instruments that can amplify hand tremors. Robotic gastrectomy (RG) was developed to overcome these limitations by providing greater precision, enhanced dexterity, and improved visualization. Although RG has become increasingly common, whether it delivers meaningful clinical benefits over conventional laparoscopic surgery in routine practice has remained uncertain.
In Japan, RG was approved for national insurance coverage in 2018, followed by regulatory changes that expanded access to robotic surgery and increased the number of surgeons qualified to perform the procedure. Five years later, researchers sought to determine whether these advances had translated into better outcomes for patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery. Their findings were published on May 29, 2026, in the journal Gastric Cancer.
