Robotic-assisted surgery for colorectal cancer
What is robotic-assisted surgery?
Robotic-assisted surgery (also called robotic surgery) is a type of minimally invasive surgery.
Robotic surgery allows doctors to perform complex procedures with more precision, flexibility, and control than is possible with the human hand.
Instead of a large incision, the surgeon makes a few very small incisions (about ¼ to ½ inch) into the abdomen to insert the small “arms” of the robot. A slightly larger incision, about two inches wide, is made to remove the tumor.
Why have robotic-assisted surgery?
Advantages to robotic-assisted surgery are similar to those of laparoscopic surgery.
They include:
- Less recovery time
- Lower risk of infection
- Smaller scars
- Less pain and discomfort after surgery
- Shorter hospital stay
- Speedier return to normal activities
Who is eligible for a robotic-assisted colectomy?
Many colorectal cancer patients are good candidates for robotic-assisted colectomy surgery.
The best option for you depends on several factors, including:
- your overall health
- your medical history
- your surgeon’s experience
- the cancer stage
- the cancer location
What happens during a robotic-assisted surgery?
- During this type of procedure, the surgeon operates a robotic surgical system that has a camera arm and mechanical arms with surgical instruments attached to them.
- The surgeon controls the arms while seated at a computer near the operating table and can see the procedure in a high-definition, magnified, 3-D view.
- Carbon dioxide gas is used to inflate the abdomen and create space for the surgeon to see and operate inside the abdominal cavity.
- The surgeon will remove the segment of the colon or rectum that contains the tumor through the larger incision, along with some lymph nodes.
More about robotic-assisted surgery and colorectal cancer
Learn more about how robotic-assisted surgery is used for colorectal surgery in this helpful video.
What's the difference between robotic-assisted and laparoscopic surgery?
While these two methods are similar, there are some differences:
Laparoscopic surgery is performed by hand, with the help of a two-dimensional camera.
Robotic-assisted surgery requires the surgeon to operate instruments from outside the patient’s body, using aconsole and a three-dimensional camera.
Related reading
Surgery risks & complicationsTop resources
2025 ASCO update: Six big studies
The 2025 ASCO Annual Meeting featured several important studies that could change how colorectal cancer is treated, including a pivotal study for BRAF V600E patients.
NIH: Combination immunotherapy shrank GI cancers
A new kind of tumor infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) therapy improved the treatment’s effectiveness in patients with metastatic GI cancers.
Lexie Haglund: Beating stage IV CRC
Discover how knowing her G12C biomarker guided Lexie’s stage IV colorectal cancer treatment — from a shock diagnosis to HIPEC surgery — and why screening, research, and self-advocacy matter.