hinotori? vs. da Vinci?: propensity score-matched analysis of surgical outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy

hinotori (TM) is a recently developed surgical robot system. The present study aims to compare intraoperative and postoperative outcomes of robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) by the hinotori (TM) system compared with those of the longer-established da Vinci (R) system. This study includes 100 consecutive patients who underwent RARP by da Vinci (R) and 60 patients who underwent RARP by hinotori (TM). To minimize imbalances of patient demographics between the two groups, 1:1 propensity score-matching was performed, and 43 patients each were assigned to the da Vinci (R) and hinotori (TM) groups after matching. In the propensity score-matched cohort, we could not find significant differences in patient demographics between the two groups. Surgical outcomes, operative time, and console time in the hinotori (TM) group were significantly longer than those in the da Vinci (R) group. Meanwhile, we could not find significant differences in other outcomes between the two groups, such as estimated blood loss, intraoperative complications, major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade 3 or 4) or length of hospital stay after surgery. The rate of positive cancer margin in the hinotori (TM) group was higher than that in the da Vinci (R) group, but significant difference could not be found between the two groups. Moreover, we could not find significant differences in urinary continence rates after surgery between the da Vinci (R) and hinotori (TM) groups. Our results suggest that the hinotori (TM) surgical robot system could provide comparable surgical outcomes to that of the da Vinci (R) system for patients undergoing RARP.