Association of Upper GI Surgery of Great Britain and Ireland (AUGIS) Delphi consensus recommendations on the adoption of robotic upper GI surgery.

BACKGROUND: The adoption of robotic platforms in upper gastrointestinal (GI) surgery is expanding rapidly. The absence of centralised guidance and governance in adoption of new surgical technologies may lead to an increased risk of patient harm.

METHODS: Surgeon stakeholders participated in a Delphi consensus process following a national open-invitation in-person meeting on the adoption of robotic upper GI surgery. Consensus agreement was deemed met if >80% agreement was achieved.

RESULTS: Following two rounds of Delphi voting, 25 statements were agreed on covering the training process, governance and good practice for surgeons' adoption in upper GI surgery. One statement failed to achieve consensus.

CONCLUSIONS: These recommendations are intended to support surgeons, patients and health systems in the adoption of robotics in upper GI surgery.