Clinical Trial

Surgical Techniques: Robotic Versus Conventional Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy IN Benign Gallbladder Disease

Study acronym: STaRLING
Recruiting
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Record status
This record was last updated December 23, 2025 (before its estimated June 1, 2026 completion). Its status may not reflect the trial's current state.
Summary
This is a single-center, randomized controlled, parallel, non-inferiority trial. All adult patients with benign gallbladder disease with an indication for cholecystectomy will be assessed for eligibility and included after obtaining informed consent. A total of 276 patients will be randomized to undergo either robotic cholecystectomy (RC) or laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). The primary endpoint will be the incidence and severity of postoperative complications within 30 days after surgery. Secondary endpoints include perioperative outcomes, total health care utilization, health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) as assessed by patient-reported outcome measures, and cost-effectiveness. Follow-up assessments will be conducted at 7 and 30 days postoperatively. This is the first randomized controlled trial designed to compare RC with LC in the treatment of benign gallbladder disease. The trial aims to evaluate the safety and non-inferiority of RC relative to LC, providing important evidence to guide the progress and adoption of robotic surgery in clinical practice.
Protocol Amendment History 1 amendment
This ClinicalTrials.gov record has been amended once since 2025-08-05.
Status change: Not Yet Recruiting → Recruiting 2025-12-16
Trial Details
NCT Number NCT07119203
Lead Sponsor Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Conditions Cholecystectomy, Robotic, Cholecystectomy, Laparoscopic, Cholecystectomy, Gallstones, Benign Gallbladder Disease
Enrollment 276 participants
Start Date 2025-09-12
Primary Completion 2026-06-01 (estimated)
Study Completion 2026-06-01 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov 2025-12-23