Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41772226›Full record

ArticleSurgical endoscopy2026

Adoption of robotic interval cholecystectomy: a retrospective comparison with the laparoscopic approach at a single center.

Khalid Mahmoud, Ivia M Bou Delgado, Robert A Vierkant, Daniel Stephens, Roderick W Davis, EeeLN H Buckarma, Stephanie F Heller, Mark D Sawyer, Diem N Vu, John M Zietlow and 5 more

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgical endoscopy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

15 authors.

Khalid MahmoudDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Ivia M Bou DelgadoDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Robert A VierkantDepartment of Quantitative Health Sciences, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Daniel StephensDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Roderick W DavisDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
EeeLN H BuckarmaDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Stephanie F HellerDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Mark D SawyerDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Diem N VuDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
John M ZietlowDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Michelle S JunkerDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Ahmad AbutakaDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
David TurayDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Myung S ParkDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Veljko StrajinaDivision of Trauma, Critical Care and General Surgery, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA. strajina.veljko@mayo.edu.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3307-0008

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRobotic-assisted cholecystectomy has gained popularity due to its purported advantages over the traditional laparoscopic technique. However, studies to date have not consistently demonstrated improved patient outcomes. Concerns regarding increased costs, particularly when the platform's clinical benefit is unclear, have limited its adoption. To our knowledge, there has been no study focusing on the role of robotic technique in interval cholecystectomy, which may present greater technical challenges, and the advantages offered by robotic technology may lead to improved outcomes.

methodsIn this retrospective study, we identified patients undergoing cholecystectomy at least one month after either percutaneous or endoscopic drainage of the gallbladder for acute cholecystitis at a single tertiary center between August 2018 and February 2025. Medical records were reviewed to collect patient outcomes for comparison between procedures initiated as robotic-assisted versus laparoscopic-assisted.

resultsA total of 215 patients, with a mean age of 67 years (± 16), underwent interval cholecystectomy after a median of 102 days (interquartile range (IQR): 85-148 days). Initial therapy for acute cholecystitis was either percutaneous drainage (n = 135, 63%) or endoscopic transcystic duct drainage (n = 80, 37%) of the gallbladder. Interval cholecystectomy was initiated laparoscopically in 177 cases, while 38 surgeries were robotically assisted. Conversion to open cholecystectomy occurred significantly more frequently in the laparoscopic group (33 cases, 19%) compared to the robotic group (0 cases, p < 0.01). Estimated blood loss was also higher in the laparoscopic group (67 ± 74 ml vs 30 ± 25 ml, p < 0.01). Robotic surgeries lasted longer (185 ± 71 vs 155 ± 65 min, p = 0.02).

conclusionsIn our retrospective review, robotic-assisted interval cholecystectomy is associated with a lower risk of conversion to open surgery, reduced estimated blood loss, and longer operative times when compared to the laparoscopic approach.

Indexed as

CholecystectomyCholecystectomy, LaparoscopicCholecystitis, AcuteRobotic Surgical ProceduresAgedDrainageFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOperative TimeRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeCholecystitisInterval cholecystectomyRobotic cholecystectomy

Identifiers

PMID41772226

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.