Open versus robotic-assisted laparoscopic posterior component separation in complex abdominal wall repair

Background Transversus abdominis release (TAR) is a surgical technique used in the treatment of complex ventral hernias. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes of open (oTAR) versus robotic-assisted (rTAR) posterior component separation by TAR. Methods Consecutive patients at two European hernia centres who underwent bilateral TAR were included. The primary endpoint was the duration of postoperative hospital stay. Results Data from 90 rTAR and 79 oTAR operations were evaluated. Patient demographics were similar between groups in terms of age, sex, BMI, and co-morbidities. There were more smokers, and hernias were larger in the oTAR group (width 8.7 cm versus 10.0 cm; P = 0.031, length 11.6 cm versus 14.1 cm; P = 0.005). Duration of postoperative hospital stay was significantly shorter in the rTAR group (3.4 days versus 6.9 days; P 0.009) were similar. Conclusion Patients with ventral incisional hernias who undergo bilateral rTAR had significantly shorter postoperative hospital stays and fewer short-term complications compared with patients undergoing bilateral oTAR.