Detailed comparison of the da Vinci Xi and S surgical systems for transaxillary thyroidectomy

Abstract

Background Robotic surgical systems have evolved over time. The da Vinci Xi system was developed in 2014 and was expected to solve the shortcomings of the previous S system. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare these two systems and identify if the Xi system truly improves surgical outcomes. Methods In this retrospective study, a total of 86 patients with unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma without central lymph node involvement underwent gasless transaxillary hemithyroidectomy using two robotic systems, the da Vinci S and Xi. Forty patients were in the da Vinci S group and 46 patients were in the da Vinci Xi group. All surgeries were performed by one surgeon (YWC). All surgery video files were analyzed to compare the duration of each surgical step. Results The total operation time was significantly shorter in the Xi group than in the S group (153.0 min vs. 105.7 min, p < 0.01). Time for robot docking was shorter in the Xi group (19.8 min vs. 10.6 min, p < 0.01), and all procedures performed in the console also required a shorter time in this group. The overall complication rate did not differ significantly (p = 0.464). Conclusions The da Vinci Xi system made robotic thyroidectomy easier and faster without increasing the complication rate. It is a safe and valuable system for robotic thyroidectomy.