Trial reportNature communications2020
First-in-human robotic supermicrosurgery using a dedicated microsurgical robot for treating breast cancer-related lymphedema: a randomized pilot trial.
Trial report in Nature communications, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06532955 (Pilot Study on Robotic Assisted Microsurgical Lymphatico-venular Anastomosis), which is not on this map. Cited by 81 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Pilot Study on Robotic Assisted Microsurgical Lymphatico-venular Anastomosis
Who cites it
81 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 186 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dedicated Robotic-Assisted Microsurgery Platforms in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery: A Systematic Review.Microsurgery · 2026Pooled it
- Animal Models of Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis: A Systematic Review of Current Evidence and Future Directions in Translational Research.Microsurgery · 2026Pooled it
- Systematic Review of Robotic-Assisted Peripheral and Central Lymphatic Surgery.Journal of surgical oncology · 2025Pooled it
- The emerging role of robotics in plastic and reconstructive surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of robotic surgery · 2024Pooled it
- Microsurgical techniques in the treatment of breast cancer-related lymphedema: a systematic review of efficacy and patient outcomes.Breast cancer (Tokyo, Japan) · 2021Pooled it
- Microsurgical robotic system enables the performance of microvascular anastomoses: a randomized in vivo preclinical trial.Scientific reports · 2023Trial
- Robotic-assisted lymphatic surgery for lymphedema: Bibliometric mapping of an emerging reconstructive field.JPRAS open · 2026Review
- Review
- The Top 100 Most Cited Articles in Reconstructive Microsurgery: Identifying Evidence Gaps and Research Trends for Future Investigation: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis.Archives of plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Lymphovenous Bypass: Past, Present, and Future.Archives of plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Expanding the Role of Robot-assisted Microsurgery: Implementation, Challenges, and Outlook From a High-volume Tertiary Care Center.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Artificial Intelligence and Robotic Surgery in Lymphedema: A Scoping Review of Current Applications, Clinical Translation, and Evidence Gaps.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- Global research trends and thematic evolution in robotic microsurgery and supermicrosurgery: a bibliometric and visualisation study.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Review
- [A brief discussion on microsurgery techniques and free perforator flaps for wound repair].Zhonghua shao shang yu chuang mian xiu fu za zhi · 2026Article
- Review
- Facial Nerve Repair Using a Microsurgical Robot System: A Preclinical Study Using a Rat Model.Plastic and reconstructive surgery. Global open · 2026Article
- The Current Landscape of Robotics in Lymphatic Supermicrosurgery: A Systematic Review.Archives of plastic surgery · 2026Article
- Enabling non-microsurgeons to perform supermicrovascular anastomosis using a robotic assistant: A preclinical study.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Microvascular Anastomoses and Beyond: Exploring the Role of Robotic Systems in Microneurosurgery.Journal of robotic surgery · 2026Review
- The first total robotic-assisted lymphovenous anastomosis: prospects for innovation and future development.International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2026Article
21 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Advancements in reconstructive microsurgery have evolved into supermicrosurgery; connecting vessels with diameter between 0.3 and 0.8 mm for reconstruction of lymphatic flow and vascularized tissue transplantation. Supermicrosurgery is limited by the precision and dexterity of the surgeon's hands. Robot assistance can help overcome these human limitations, thereby enabling a breakthrough in supermicrosurgery. We report the first-in-human study of robot-assisted supermicrosurgery using a dedicated microsurgical robotic platform. A prospective randomized pilot study is conducted comparing robot-assisted and manual supermicrosurgical lymphatico-venous anastomosis (LVA) in treating breast cancer-related lymphedema. We evaluate patient outcome at 1 and 3 months post surgery, duration of the surgery, and quality of the anastomosis. At 3 months, patient outcome improves. Furthermore, a steep decline in duration of time required to complete the anastomosis is observed in the robot-assisted group (33-16 min). Here, we report the feasibility of robot-assisted supermicrosurgical anastomosis in LVA, indicating promising results for the future of reconstructive supermicrosurgery.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.