Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (known as Wilkie’s syndrome) is a rare disorder caused by compression of the third part of the duodenum by that artery.

Risk factors for developing superior mesenteric artery syndrome include chronic disease, malignancy, bariatric surgery, eating disorders, burns, trauma, or substance abuse.

The disease is characterized by the appearance of pain in the abdomen, weight loss, as well as nausea, vomiting and cachexia in general.

When conservative treatment does not work, common surgical strategies include the so-called duodenojejunostomy and the Strong procedure.

The latter is usually the procedure of choice, as it helps avoid potential risks from anastomosis and other complications.

This is ideally achieved not with open surgery but with the assistance of a robotic system (da Vinci Xi).

The robotic Strong procedure combines both the benefits of a minimally invasive approach and the unparalleled accuracy, flexibility, stability and effectiveness of robotic arms.

With the robotic Strong procedure, the decompression of the duodenum is achieved with the highest level of safety and avoidance of injury to the sensitive neighboring tissues and anatomical structures.