Before making decisions about robotic surgical equipment in Alberta, the provincial health authority needed local evidence on how robotic-assisted surgery compared to conventional approaches for patients and the health system. With funding from Intuitive Surgical, the ARWEC team designed and independently conducted a study to address this evidence gap.
The study, published in July 2026, compared outcomes of robotic versus laparoscopic and open hysterectomy. Key findings:
- Shorter surgery time – robotic surgery was 15 minutes shorter than laparoscopic surgery and 5 minutes longer than open surgery.
- Shorter length of hospital stay – 1 day for robotic surgery versus 2 days for laparoscopic surgery and 4 days for open surgery.
- Fewer complications and readmissions – reduced probabilities of blood transfusions, complications, infections, and readmissions for robotic surgery than open surgery but no difference versus laparoscopic surgery. Read more →
Dr. Tara Klassen, Innovation Lead, Surgical Care, Acute Care Alberta, summarized the impact of the study, stating:
“The Alberta Real World Evidence Consortium helped generate the local evidence needed to better understand the impacts of robotic-assisted hysterectomy on patients and the healthcare system. By leveraging real-world data from Alberta, the study addressed questions identified by provincial leaders and contributed to a growing body of evidence supporting informed decision-making around surgical innovation.The findings have helped shape broader discussions on robotic surgery strategy, implementation, and future planning across Alberta’s health system. This work underscores the importance of using local evidence to guide decisions about emerging healthcare technologies.”