Robotic-assisted pulmonary resection with a periareolar assistant port: learning curve and propensity-matched comparison with the conventional-portal approach.

Robotic-assisted thoracoscopic surgery with a periareolar assistant port was technically feasible; no monotonic improvement in unadjusted operative time was detected across the case series, and operative time was comparable to the conventional approach.

However, comparative safety and oncologic adequacy remain uncertain given the higher complication rate and lower lymph-node yield observed, warranting prospective, randomized, multicenter validation.