To conduct a Meta-analysis of the safety and efficacy of robot-assisted laparoscopic radical resection of left colon cancer (RA) versus traditional laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of left colon cancer (LA).

Through CNKI, Wanfang Database, PubMed, NCBI and other databases, the control studies of RA and LA were retrieved from the database establishment to May 2021. Two researchers independently extracted relevant research data and collected relevant literature content, and Revman 5.3 software was used to analyze the collected data.

A total of 10 retrospective studies involving 4 770 cases of left colon cancer were included, including 2 309 cases of RA and 2 461 cases of LA. Compared to the LA group, the patients in RA group had shortert hospital stay (MD=-0.74, 95% CI: -1.33, -0.16; P=0.01), higher hospitalization cost (MD=1.02, 95% CI: 0.04, 2.00; P=0.04), less intraoperative bleeding (MD=-13.49, 95% CI: -20.91, -6.06; P<0.001), longer operation time (MD=42.64, 95% CI: 13.53, 71.74; P=0.004), earlier postoperative exhaust (MD=-0.29, 95% CI: -0.49, -0.09; P=0.004), earlier postoperative feeding time (MD=-0.30, 95% CI: -0.51, -0.09; P=0.005), and the conversion rate to open surgery was lower (OR=0.55, 95% CI: 0.45, 0.69; P<0.001). There were no significant differences in the number of dissected lymph nodes (MD=-0.20, 95% CI: -2.64, 2.24; P=0.87), the incidence of complications (OR=0.78, 95% CI: 0.60, 1.01; P=0.06).

RA is safe and feasible, and postoperative gastrointestinal function of patients can recover faster, but it has no significant advantage in terms of operation time, the number of dissected lymph nodes and incidence of complications.