Abstract
BACKGROUND: The efficacy and safety of the Kangduo (KD) robotic system in colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery are well established. However, its short-term impact on surgical stress response has not been evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study conducted a post hoc analysis of a previous non-inferiority randomized controlled trial. Patients with stage I-III CRC who underwent robotic-assisted radical CRC surgery between July 2022 and May 2023 were randomized 1:1 to the KD or da Vinci (DV) group. The primary outcomes were changes in systemic stress response markers, including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, white blood cell count, hemoglobin, neutrophil count, albumin, creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein, prealbumin, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio. RESULTS: A total of 101 patients were assessed for eligibility, and then 100 patients were enrolled (KD: n = 50; DV: n = 50). No significant differences in stress response marker trajectories were observed between the groups (all P ≥ 0.05). Subgroup analysis of complication-free patients yielded consistent results. CONCLUSION: Kangduo robotic-assisted CRC surgery induces systemic stress response changes comparable to those observed with the da Vinci.