Robot-assisted gastrectomy for gastric cancer in a patient with a colostomy: A case report with adaptive techniques and technical points

Robot-assisted surgery is considered a standard option for procedures on many organs. However, there are still few reports of useful adaptations for various patient conditions. We were able to safely perform robot-assisted distal gastrectomy on a patient with a colostomy. A 75-year-old man presented with gastric cancer, type 0-IIc, 2.5 cm in diameter. Before the gastric surgery, colectomy was performed for obstructive rectal cancer and a colostomy was formed in the right upper abdomen. The following adaptations were required to perform robot-assisted distal gastrectomy to avoid injuring the colon. After moving the port placement to the left side, we used a Penrose drain to retract the intra-abdominal colon connecting to the colostomy, pulling it to the head side. Then we projected the image of the colostomy in the da Vinci console. This case has shown that it is possible to safely perform robot-assisted surgery with adaptations tailored to the patient's conditions.