Safety and efficacy of the Toumai robotic assisted versus the DaVinci robotic assisted radical gastrectomy for patients with gastric cancer.

[BACKGROUND] Robot-assisted gastrectomy (RAG) is a promising alternative treatment for gastric cancer. However, the therapeutic efficacy of the Toumai system in RAG remains unexplored. This study aimed to analyzed the outcomes of the Toumai system versus the DaVinci system in RAG.

[METHODS] This was a retrospective propensity score-matched analysis from January 2022 and March 2024. Patients who underwent RAG using the Toumai system or DaVinci Xi system were enrolled and a propensity score-matched analysis was performed in a 1:1 manner. The patients were divided into Toumai group and DaVinci group. The clinicopathological characteristics and short-term outcomes were observed.

[RESULTS] After propensity score matching, 64 patients each in the Toumai and DaVinci groups. There was no statistical difference between the Toumai system and the DaVinci system in terms of short-term postoperative complications (15.6% vs. 12.5%, P = 1.0), and no serious complications occurred in either group. 2 cases had bleeding and 4 cases had abdominal infection and 4 cases had respiratory tract infection in the Toumai group. 4 cases had bleeding and 1 case had deep venous thrombosis and 2 cases had respiratory tract infection in the DaVinci group. No significant differences in other clinical parameters between the groups, such as operative time, number of retrieved lymph nodes, estimated intraoperative blood loss, first flatus, length of hospital stay, time to liquid diet, time to ambulation postoperatively, drainage volume on postoperative day 1, and pain scores from postoperative day 1 to day 3 (all P ≥ 0.05).

[CONCLUSION] Both the Toumai and DaVinci surgical systems demonstrate comparable clinical outcomes in RAG. The Toumai system offers a viable new option for the surgical management of gastric cancer.