Learning Curve Impact on Robotic Left-Sided Pancreatectomy

Robotic left-sided pancreatectomy is safe during the learning curve, challenging the notion of increased risk during early cases.

• Major morbidity rates were similar between competency (14.5%) and proficiency phases (14.0%), p = .981.
• Predictors of major morbidity included male sex, preoperative pancreatitis, and multivisceral resection.

Surgeons should remain vigilant about case complexity as proficiency increases.

• R1 rates in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were higher in the proficiency phase (39.7%), but not statistically significant (p = .092).