Robot-assisted Resection of Colorectal Cancer and Synchronous Liver Metastases:Preliminary Experience, Technique and Literature Review

From October 2012 to March 2018 a minimally invasive one-stage resection was offered to selected patients referred to the investigator's institution with a diagnosis of CRC and synchronous LM, irrespective of the size and location of the primary and metastatic disease. When feasible, a fully-robotic colorectal and liver resection was performed. Prior consent was obtained and full treatment options where submitted to all patients treated. Data collected were prospectively analyzed.

Diagnosis and pre-operative staging were achieved with pancolonoscopy with biopsies and, where contraindicated or not feasible, with CT colonography.

Pelvic MRI with rectal cancer protocol was used for local staging of rectal cancer and total-body contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and liver contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for investigation of metastases. In selected cases a CEUS (contrast-enhanced ultrasound) or liver biopsy was performed in order to achieve a diagnostic definition.

All cases were discussed at multidisciplinary team meeting. Criteria for neoadjuvant chemotherapy were liver unresectability with a potential incomplete liver resection with anticipated positive surgical margins and an insufficient liver remnant.

Absolute contraindications for minimally invasive simultaneous surgery were considered unfitness for surgery due to comorbidities not allowing long operative time, the number of lesions in parenchymal sparing surgery (generally >5), the pre-operative prediction of vascular resection.