Robotic Versus Laparoscopic Techniques for Revisional Bariatric Surgery

Obesity has become a significant health problem in Canada. When conservative efforts to lose weight fail, bariatric surgical procedures are often considered. Today, the most common bariatric procedures in North America are Laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LRYGB) and Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy (LSG). For many reasons, an initial bariatric procedure may require surgical revision. Some reasons include weight regain, failed weight loss or other acute and chronic complications not related to weight loss. In these cases, it may be indicated that a procedure be reversed inor converted to another type of bariatric procedure. Regardless of the planned intervention, revisional surgery is always more difficult than the initial procedure mainly due to surgical scarring and altered anatomy. Though revisional bariatric surgery has been shown to be safe, our hope is to improve the safety profile by utilizing robotic surgery. Robotic surgery can facilitate more complex procedures by providing superior imaging and freedom of movement during the procedure. The aim of our study is to evaluate prospectively the outcomes of robotic compared to laparoscopic revisional bariatric surgery in terms of perioperative outcomes such as complication rates, operative time and readmissions as well as weight loss/comorbidity resolution (diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea) where applicable.