LAUSR

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is one of the most frequently performed surgical procedures with more than a half million cholecystectomies per year in the USA [1]. Gallbladder cancer represents the sixth most common type of gastrointestinal cancer [2]. The incidental gallbladder cancer (IGBC) is diagnosed in 0.19 to 2.1% of all patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for benign gallbladder disease [3]. Regarding the progresses in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) worldwide, LC represents one of the mainstream models of development of skills in MIS. Nowadays, robotic surgery has also been settling its place as aMIS option. Although laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) is a challenging surgery that endures in technical evolution, its role for IGBC remains controversial [4]. LLR can reduce intraoperative bleeding and postoperative morbidity when compared to open surgery in select cases [5, 6]. Although robotic surgery is feasible for both minor and major liver resections, it remains a work in progress. We report our initial experience with robotic approach to IGBC as an option to improve feasibility of this procedure by MIS.