Beyond da Vinci: a systematic review of next-generation multiport robotic platforms in pediatric surgery.
As robotic surgery expands beyond the da Vinci platform, the relevance of new-generation systems to pediatric patients remains uncertain. This review examined the technical characteristics, applications, and perioperative outcomes of alternative multiport robotic platforms in children. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched through 28 February 2026 in accordance with PRISMA 2020. Owing to clinical heterogeneity, findings were synthesized narratively, with Wilson 95% confidence intervals for key binary outcomes. Six studies reported 166 patients across 27 procedure types. Senhance accounted for 164 patients, while Hugo RAS and Hinotori were each represented by one patient. Ages ranged from 15 days to 17 years and weights from 3.8 to more than 100 kg. Senhance was the only platform used with 3-mm robotic instruments. Conversion or planned escalation occurred in 19 patients (11.4%; 95% CI, 7.5-17.2%). Four intraoperative complications were reported (2.4%; 95% CI, 0.9-6.0%). Across all reports, 20 patients experienced postoperative complications (12.0%; 95% CI, 7.9-17.9%). In the largest cohort, seven patients required reintervention (4.6%; 95% CI, 2.2-9.2%) and seven were readmitted (4.6%; 95% CI, 2.2-9.2%). No deaths or comparative pediatric studies were reported. Published experience remains sparse and is almost entirely limited to Senhance. Current evidence describes early clinical use without establishing comparative safety, effectiveness, or platform superiority. Prospective multicenter studies with standardized reporting are needed.