Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40263142›Full record

ArticleJournal of robotic surgery2025

Clinical experience in open robotic-assisted microsurgery: user consensus of the European Federation of Societies for Microsurgery.

Maximilian Kueckelhaus, Alexandru Nistor, Tom van Mulken, Emre Gazyakan, Khaled Dastagir, Henning Wieker, Maria Mani, Shan Shan Qiu, Jens Ahm Sørensen, Gemma Pons and 7 more

Abstract readConsensus Statement
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of robotic surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. The first total robotic-assisted lymphovenous anastomosis: prospects for innovation and future development.International journal of computer assisted radiology and surgery · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors.

Maximilian KueckelhausDepartment of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Muenster, University of Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Campus 1, 48149, Muenster, Germany. maximilian.kueckelhaus@ukmuenster.de.
Alexandru NistorDepartment of Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Brussels, Brussels, Belgium.
Tom van MulkenDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Emre GazyakanDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Khaled DastagirDepartment of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Henning WiekerDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Christian Albrechts University, UKSH Campus Kiel, Kiel, Germany.
Maria ManiDepartment of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery, Uppsala University Hospital, Uppsala, Sweden.
Shan Shan QiuDepartment of Plastic, Reconstructive and Hand Surgery, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, Netherlands.
Jens Ahm SørensenDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
Gemma PonsPlastic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
Peter VogtDepartment of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
Jaume MasiaPlastic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain.
Ulrich KneserDepartment of Hand, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Burn Center, BG Trauma Center Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany.
Pierluigi TosDepartment of Hand Surgery and Reconstructive Microsurgery, ASST Gaetano Pini-CTO, Milan, Italy.
Sinikka SuominenDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Helsinki University and Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
Marco InnocentiDepartment of Plastic Surgery, Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute, Bologna, Italy.
Nicole LindenblattDepartment of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This study provides a comprehensive guide to robotic-assisted microsurgery. Following more than 900 clinical cases in 13 centers, this joint project was initiated to summarize and consent to the user experience. Two robotic systems specifically designed for the needs of open microsurgery received the first certification for clinical application (CE mark) in 2019 and 2020. Since their introduction into clinical application, several European microsurgical centers have implemented these systems, generating user experiences in multiple microsurgical subspecialties. All institutions using the MUSA-2 microsurgical robot (Microsure B.V., Eindhoven, Netherlands) or Symani Surgical System (Medical Microinstruments, Inc., Wilmington, Delaware, US) were invited to join the multicenter project. A modified nominal group technique was applied to answer five major questions regarding current and future indications and developments in open robotic-assisted microsurgery. Steep preclinical and clinical learning curves were characterized. General considerations concerning the two different systems are presented. Specifics for each microsurgical subspecialty are reported. Following two voting rounds, a consensus was reached in three of the five major questions with "lymphatics" being the top indication, "higher precision" being the top benefit, and "automation" being the top long-term goal of robotic-assisted microsurgery. This joint project of all Symani and MUSA-2 users presents clinical cases and the subsequent initial knowledge and experience. Lymphatics as a top indicator and a higher precision as the top benefit point toward the capabilities of robotic-assisted microsurgery in manipulation of smallest structures. Automation may further enhance and simplify robotic procedures in future. This project also provides a comprehensive guide to any institution aiming to introduce such a system for open robotic-assisted microsurgery in future.

Indexed as

MicrosurgeryRobotic Surgical ProceduresEuropeHumansLearning CurveSocieties, MedicalLymphatic surgeryMicrosurgeryRobotic microsurgeryRoboticsRobotic surgerySupermicrosurgery

Identifiers

PMID40263142
PMCPMC12014844

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.