Comparison between robotic and laparoscopic surgery in women over 65 years old with gynecological malignancies

We aim to compare perioperative outcomes and complications between robotic and laparoscopic surgery for gynecologic oncology indications in patients over 65 years old. A prospective comparative study performed at a University Hospital, in patients over 65 operated by robotic (RS) or laparoscopic surgery (LS). All women were diagnosed with gynecological malignancies (cervical, endometrial or ovarian cancer). Data regarding the demographic preoperative characteristic of the patients, perioperative outcomes and surgical complications were analyzed. A total of 209 women underwent minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for gynecologic cancer: 141 (67.5%) by RS and 68 (32.5%) by LS. The median age was 73.4 years (range: 69-77 years) in RS group and 72.8 years (range: 67-78) in the LS group (p = 0.506). Hospital stays and blood loos were similar in both groups. Operating time was shorter in the RS group, having a median value of 125 min (range: 95-180 min) compared to 145 min (range: 94-220 min) in the LS group (p = 0.277). RS and LS were also found to be comparable in terms of peri- and postoperative complications. In conclusion, RS has comparable perioperative outcomes and complications rates to LS in women over 65.