Robotic Surgery for Pelvic Organ Prolapse: More Time, More Pain, Higher Cost

Sacrocolpopexy is the gold standard for surgical repair of vaginal prolapse, and it can be performed laparoscopically with lower morbidity and shorter hospital stays than can open abdominal surgery. The laparoscopic approach, however, requires suturing and knot-tying skills that can be difficult to master. Many experts advocate robotic-assisted laparoscopy despite limited comparative data. Now, investigators at a single U.S. center have conducted a randomized trial to compare conventional laparoscopic and robotic-assisted laparoscopic sacrocolpopexy for posthysterectomy vaginal apical prolapse in 78 women. Two attending surgeons (assisted by 2 fellows in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery) performed all surgeries. The laparos…