Introduction: Currently, there is limited data regarding the long-term outcomes of single incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for colon cancer. Therefore, we investigated both the short- and long-term outcomes of SILS for right-sided colon cancer.
Methods: We retrospectively compared the short- and long-term outcomes of SILS and conventional laparoscopic surgery (CLS) for right-sided colon cancer (specifically the cecum and ascending colon) in our institution. Inter-group differences of short-term outcomes were evaluated using the chi-squared or Fisher exact test and two-sample Student’s t-test. The disease-free survival rates (long-term outcome) of stage 0 to III patients were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using log-rank tests.
Results: There were 290 operations conducted for right-sided (cecum and ascending color) colorectal cancers between April 2011 and July 2018. Twelve patients underwent planned laparotomy. Of the remaining 278 patients, 55 underwent planned conventional laparoscopic surgery, 27 patients had planned reduced poet surgery (RPS), and 196 patients had planned SILS. The procedures had been selected by skilled surgeons. One patient underwent intraoperative conversion from SILS to laparotomy for bleeding control. In addition, one port was added to SILS in three cases. These four cases were included in the analysis as the SILS group, according to the principle of intent to treat.
Background factors, including age, sex, body mass index, performance status, and tumor stage were not statistically different between the SILS and CLS groups. In the short-term outcomes, the number of harvested lymph-nodes was not statistically different. SILS required less operating time (P<0.001) and resulted in a reduced bleeding volume (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference in the frequency of overall complications (P=0.06). The disease-free survival of stage 0 to III patients was not statistically different between the two groups.
Conclusions: Skilled surgeons can achieve adequate oncologic long-term outcomes in selected subgroups of SILS patients. Therefore, SILS could be a treatment option for right-sided colon cancer.
Short- and long-term outcomes of laparoscopic surgery vs open surgery for transverse colon cancer: a retrospective multicenter study