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Background: Nissen fundoplication is considered an advanced minimally invasive procedure whether performed laparoscopically or robotically. In laparoscopic surgery, it is evident that assistant skill level impacts operative times. However, the robotic platform allows improved surgeon autonomy. We aimed to determine the impact of assistant training level on operative times in robotic Nissen fundoplication (RNF) and laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication (LNF)., Methods: A prospectively maintained Nissen database (2011-2016) from a single academic institution was utilized to collect patient characteristics, operative times, length of stay, intraoperative complications, postoperative complications, readmission rate, and assistant training level. Assistants were either postgraduate year-3 surgery residents defined as junior-level assistants or a minimally invasive surgery (MIS) fellow defined as senior-level assistants., Results: There were 105 patients included in our analyses. When comparing postgraduate year-3 residents to MIS fellows performing LNF, the median operative time was significantly decreased when senior-level assistants were present in the LNF group, 85 (75-103) versus 129 (74-269) min, P = 0.02. In comparison, median operative times in the RNF group were independent of the assistant's level of training, 154 (71-300) versus 158 (101-215) min, P = 0.34. There were no significant differences in outcomes between the junior- and senior-level assistant cohorts for estimated blood loss, length of stay, postoperative complications, and 30-d readmission rates in either the LNF or RNF group., Conclusions: Assistant training level impacted operative time for LNF but not RNF. These differences are most likely attributed to increased autonomy of the operating surgeon afforded by the robotic platform reducing assistant variability., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Obesity has historically been a positive predictor of surgical morbidity, especially in the morbidly obese. The purpose of our study was to compare outcomes of obese patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC)., Methods: We reviewed 1382 consecutive patients retrospectively who underwent LC for various pathologies from January 2008 to August 2011. Patients were stratified based on the World Health Organization definitions of obesity: nonobese (body mass index [BMI] < 30 kg/m(2)), obesity class I (BMI 30-34.9 kg/m(2)), obesity class II (BMI 35-39.9 kg/m(2)), and obesity class III (BMI ≥ 40 kg/m(2)). The primary end points were conversion rates and surgical morbidity. The secondary end point was length of stay., Results: There were significantly more females in the obesity II and III groups (P = 0.0002). American Society of Anesthesiologists scores were significantly higher in the obesity I, II, and III groups compared with the nonobese (P < 0.05; P < 0.01; and P < 0.0001, respectively). Independent predictors of conversion on multivariate analysis (MVA) included age (P = 0.01), acute cholecystitis (P = 0.03), operative time (P < 0.0001), blood loss (P < 0.0001), and fellowship-trained surgeons (P < 0.0001). Independent predictors of intraoperative complications on MVA included age (P = 0.009), white patients (P = 0.009), previous surgery (P = 0.001), operative time (P < 0.0001), and blood loss (P = 0.01). Independent predictors of postoperative complications on MVA included American Society of Anesthesiologists score (P < 0.0001), acute cholecystitis (P < 0.0001), and a postoperative complication (P < 0.0001). BMI was not a predictor of conversions or surgical morbidity. Length of stay was not significantly different between the four groups., Conclusions: This study demonstrates that overall conversion rates and surgical morbidity are relatively low following LC, even in obese and morbidly obese patients., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)