Robotic-assisted laparoscopic dissection of the infrarenal aorta and iliac artery: a technical description and early results.

We report our initial experience with a novel robotic-assisted dissection of the infrarenal aorta and iliac arteries for the treatment of aortoiliac occlusive disease and abdominal aortoiliac aneurysm. Seven patients underwent the procedure using the da Vinci Surgical System. Transabdominal, retroperitonal dissection of the aorta and iliac arteries was completed using the robotic system; then, a mini-laparotomy and hand-sewn aorta-to-graft anastomosis were performed. There was no mortality in this series of patients. This novel technique may overcome the difficulty of aortic dissection in a purely laparoscopic aortic surgery and serves as a bridging step toward totally robotic-assisted aortic surgery.