To investigate the learning curve of robot-assisted radical distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer.

In order to analysis the clinical data of 30 patients undergoing robot-assisted radical distal gastrectomy from Feb. to May 2015 in our department by same group, the patients were divided into three groups, with 10 cases in each one, marked by A, B and C. Several indexes were used to compared the differences among the 3 groups.

There were no significant differences in age, sex, pre-operative body mass index (BMI), previous history of abdominal operation, pre-operative TNM stages resection types of the stomach among the three groups (P>0.05). The robotic set-up time of group B and group C was shorter than that of group A, [(28.5 ± 6.3)min, (15.1 ± 4.5) min, (14.7 ± 2.9)min for group A, B and C respectively, P<0.05]; The operation time of group B and group C was shorter than that of group A [(272.3 ± 46.1) min, (206.4 ± 38.3) min, (202.5 ± 40.3) min for group A, B and C respectively, P<0.05]; the blood loss of group B and group C was less than that of group A [(131.3 ± 10.1) ml, (61.4 ± 16.3) ml , (59.8 ± 17.9) ml for group A, B and C respectively, P<0.05]; the number of lymph nodes resected in group B and group C was more than that in group A [(18.4 ± 4.1), (25.7 ± 4.6), (26.3 ± 4.8) for group A, B and C respectively, P<0.05]; no significant difference was found between group B and group C (P>0.05) ; no significant difference was found in exhaust time, postoperative hospital stay and complication rates among the three groups (P>0.05 ) .The 10 patients in group A received the operation within a time period of 2 months (5 cases per month), and groups B and C were done in 1 months (10 cases per month).

The surgeons with abundant experiences of laparoscopic distal gastrectomy cancer surgery can learn the surgical skills after performing 10 robot-assisted radical distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer at the months frequency of 5 cases.