Introduction and problems of robot-assisted surgery for colorectal cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a single-institution experience

Abstract In Japan, robot-assisted surgery for rectal cancer has been covered by insurance since 2018, and the number of surgical cases has increased significantly since then. COVID-19 spread across the world in 2019, adversely impacting healthcare systems. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our hospital was relocated in September 2021, and robotic surgical support equipment was introduced in June 2022. The introduction of robot-assisted surgery must be carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgery in Japan. These guidelines are wide-ranging, and the introduction of such surgery must satisfy not only operator and facility requirements but also organ-specific requirements. Our department found it difficult to meet these various requirements from the perspective of infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic. In anticipation of future infectious disease outbreaks similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to establish a system that can easily and smoothly introduce robot-assisted surgery in Japan.