Advantages of robotic surgery in obese patients with endometrial cancer

Purpose of review

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecological cancer among women in high-income countries and the prevalence is projected to increase worldwide because of the obesity epidemic. Surgery is a key step in the management of endometrial cancer. Performing surgery and delivering care to obese patients (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) and especially to morbidly obese patients (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m²) is challenging.

This review focuses on the advantages of robotic surgery in obese patients with endometrial cancer.

Recent findings

The emergence of robotic surgery is associated with increasing rates of minimally invasive surgery for endometrial cancer. Robotic surgery offers several advantages over conventional laparoscopy, especially in obese patients with endometrial cancer which has led to decreasing rates of conversion to laparotomy. The approach allows surgical staging on obese and morbidly obese patients without increasing complication rates or the length of hospital stay, while improving ergonomics for the surgeon.

Summary

Robotic surgery should be the preferred approach for obese patients with endometrial cancer. Current data confirm its safety and benefits for this group of women, particularly for obese patients with a BMI ≥ 40 kg/m².