Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted programmed six‑hole method anterior resection of rectal cancer.

Methods The retrospec-tive cohort study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 102 patients with middle and low rectal cancer who were admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from August 2020 to June 2021 were collected. There were 62 males and 40 females, aged (53±12)years. Of the 102 patients, 51 cases undergoing da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted programmed six-hole method anterior resection of rectal cancer were divided into the robotic group and 51 cases undergoing laparoscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer were divided into the laparoscopic group. Observa-tion indicators: (1) treatment; (2) postoperative pathological examination; (3) follow‑up. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as Mean±SD, and comparison between groups was conducted using the independent sample t test. Measurement data with skewed distribution were represented as M(range), and comparison between groups was conducted using the Mann‑Whitney U test. Count data were described as absolute numbers, and comparison between groups was conducted using the chi‑square test or Fisher exact probability. Repeated measurement data were analyzed using the repeated ANOVA.

Results (1) Treatment. All patients of the two groups under-went radical resection of rectal cancer successfully, and none of patient with intraoperative blood transfusion, conversion to open surgery, and death within 30 days after surgery. The operation time, volume of intraoperative blood loss, number of lymph nodes dissected, time to postoperative first flatus, time to postoperative first liquid food intake, time to postoperative catheter removal, cases with postoperative pain grading as grade 1, grade 2, grade 3, grade 4, cost of treatment were (170±12)minutes, (73±50)mL, 23±6, (35.1±9.4)hours, (2.1±0.8)days, (2.9±2.7)days, 13, 15, 17, 6, (7.1±4.5) ten thousand yuan in patients of the robotic group, versus (153±22)minutes, (119±66) mL, 15±4, (40.7±1.9)hours, (2.9±0.4)days, (5.3±2.1)days, 6, 7, 26, 12, (6.7±1.6) ten thousand yuan in patients of the laparoscopic group, showing significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups (t=6.79, -4.46,20.09, -3.01, -5.54, -16.69, Z=-2.87, t=4.22, P<0.05). (2) Postoperative patho-logical examination. The tumor diameter, length of specimen resected, distance of upper resection margin to tumor, distance of lower resection margin to tumor, cases with mesorectal specimens as integrity and mostly integrity, cases with tumor differentiation as high differentiation, moderate differentiation, low differentiation, cases with postoperative TNM staging as stage Ⅰ, stage Ⅱ, stage Ⅲ were (3.8±1.1)cm, (18.7±3.2)cm, (11.8±3.6)cm, (2.7±0.8)cm, 48, 3, 4, 41, 6, 6, 17, 28 in patients of the robotic group, versus (3.7±1.0)cm, (18.3±2.8)cm, (10.2±2.7)cm, (2.5±0.6)cm, 46, 5, 6, 39, 6, 5,20, 26 in patients of the laparoscopic group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups (t=1.72, 1.29, 1.64, 1.11, χ²=0.14, Z=-0.42, -0.26, P>0.05). Cases with positive circumferential margin and cases with destruction of mesentery was 0 and 0 in patients of the robotic group, versus 1 and 1 in patients of the laparoscopic group, showing no significant difference in the above indicators between the two groups (P>0.05). (3) Follow‑up. All patients in the two groups were followed up for 12 months after surgery and none of patient had postoperative local recurrence and distant metastasis of tumors. The anal incontinence score, low anterior resection syndrome score, international prostate symptom score, night urination score, international index of erectile score, female sexual function index score in patients of the robotic group were 0, 12.25±1.08, 4.43±0.33, 0.49±0.09, 24.07±2.75, 65.84±1.79 before surgery and 1.34±0.11, 18.11±3.54, 4.03±0.26, 1.08±0.28, 22.63±2.03, 38.57±6.13 at postoperative 12 months, respectively. The above indicators in patients of the laparoscopic group were 0, 12.60±1.11, 4.56±0.36, 0.46±0.07, 23.11±2.77, 66.31±1.73 before surgery and 1.99±1.33,20.85±6.19, 6.43±1.78, 2.27±0.23, 21.00±2.73, 27.62±8.20 at postoperative 12 months, respectively. There were significant differences in the above indicators between the two groups (P<0.05).

Conclusions The oncological effects of da Vinci Xi surgical system assisted programmed six‑hole method anterior resection of rectal cancer and lapa-roscopic anterior resection of rectal cancer are comparable. However, robotic surgery is superior to laparoscopic surgery in terms of intraoperative bleeding, lymph node dissection, gastrointestinal function recovery, and pelvic autonomic nerve protection.