Application of robotic surgery in the treatment of splenic cysts in children
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15574/PS.2025.4(89).2124Keywords:
splenic cyst, children, robotic surgery, laparoscopyAbstract
Splenic cysts are the most common benign neoplasms of this organ. Minimally invasive interventions for diseases of the spleen are becoming increasingly popular. The availability of robotic platforms allows us to qualify patients with the presented pathology for robotic surgical interventions.
Aim - to compare the results of surgical treatment of splenic cysts (robotic and laparoscopic) in children.
Materials and methods. From 2021 to 2025, 29 children with splenic cysts of various localization and sizes were operated. Patients were divided into two groups: laparoscopic (n=16) and robotic (n=13). The comparison groups are equivalent in structure. The age of the patients is from 4 to 17 years (average 12.0±3.2 years). Surgical interventions were performed using the robotic platforms "Da Vinci S" and "Da Vinci Si" and the laparoscopic system from the company Karl Storz. In total, 26 (90%) partial splenectomies and 3 (10%) total splenectomies were performed due to recurrence of splenic cysts that occupied more than 90% of the organ volume.
Results. The average duration of surgical intervention was 1.9±0.3 h in the robotic group and 2.24±0.4 h in the laparoscopic group. The conversion rate in both groups was 0%. The average duration of hospitalization was shorter in the robotic group (4.0±1.0 days versus 5.0±1.2 days). No recurrences were detected during the observation period, however, 1 operation in the robotic group was performed for recurrence after laparoscopic fenestration of the cyst with transition to laparotomy (performed in another clinic).
Conclusions. In summary, it can be noted the optimality of using robotics in operations on the spleen, especially for cysts of large size and complex anatomical localization (hiatus, upper-posterior surface of the spleen). Long-term results indicate the effectiveness of the method as such, which guarantees the absence of disease recurrence.
The study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent was obtained from the children's parents.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
Alharbi R, Almohammdi R, Alharbi V, Alshaikhjafar F, Alharbi A. (2023, Sep). Case report of a large splenic cyst in a pediatric patient. Cureus. 2023 Sep 28; 15(9):e46113. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.46113
Di Lena É, Safa N, Rahman S, Kaneva P, Feldman LS. (2023, Jul 27). Watchful waiting for large primary nonparasitic splenic cysts. Can J Surg. 66(4): E390-E395. https://doi.org/10.1503/cjs.010322; PMid:37500107 PMCid:PMC10396346
Hanna S, Barua A, Haloi D. (2023, Apr-Jun). Robotic removal of epidermoid splenic cyst in an adolescent patient using a novel robotic platform: a case report. J Minim Access Surg. 19(2): 323-325. https://doi.org/10.4103/jmas.jmas_213_22; PMid:36629223 PMCid:PMC10246637
Krichen I, Maazoun K, Kitar M, Kamal NM, Khan U, Khalif MY et al. (2021, Jun 3). Huge Non-parasitic Mesothelial Splenic Cyst in a Child: A Case Report and Literature Review. Clin Med Insights Pediatr. 15: 11795565211021597. https://doi.org/10.1177/11795565211021597; PMid:34158804 PMCid:PMC8182210
Qingjiang C, Wang L, Chen X, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Zhu K et al. (2022, Jul 20). Laparoscopic treatment of benign splenic tumors in children. World Journal of Pediatrics and Surgery. 5(4): e000419. https://doi.org/10.1136/wjps-2022-000419; PMid:36474737 PMCid:PMC9648585
Stasyshyn AR, Huraievskyi AA, Dvorakevych AO, Shevchuk DV, Kalinchuk OO ta insh. (2023). Robotic surgery in Ukraine: first experience and development prospects. Hospital surgery. Journal named after L. Ya. Kovalchuk. 1: 5-10. https://doi.org/10.11603/2414-4533.2023.1.13794
Wang Z, Peng S, Wu D, Wang K, Xu J, Song J et al. (2022, Jul 29). Surgical treatment of benign splenic lesions in children: a series of 30 cases from a single center. BMC Surg. 22(1): 295. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12893-022-01745-2; PMid:35906560 PMCid:PMC9335990
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Paediatric Surgery (Ukraine)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
The policy of the Journal “PAEDIATRIC SURGERY. UKRAINE” is compatible with the vast majority of funders' of open access and self-archiving policies. The journal provides immediate open access route being convinced that everyone – not only scientists - can benefit from research results, and publishes articles exclusively under open access distribution, with a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 international license(СС BY-NC).
Authors transfer the copyright to the Journal “PAEDIATRIC SURGERY.UKRAINE” when the manuscript is accepted for publication. Authors declare that this manuscript has not been published nor is under simultaneous consideration for publication elsewhere. After publication, the articles become freely available on-line to the public.
Readers have the right to use, distribute, and reproduce articles in any medium, provided the articles and the journal are properly cited.
The use of published materials for commercial purposes is strongly prohibited.