Objective: To explore the safety and feasibility of reduced-port laparoscopic-assisted resection for cancer at the sigmoid colon and upper rectum.
Methods: Clinical data of 70 patients with sigmoid colon or upper rectal cancer undergoing laparoscopic-assisted resection in our department from February 2013 to July 2014 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into reduced-port group (44 cases, 3 or 4 ports) and conventional group (26 cases, 5 ports). The operative time, blood loss, retrieved lymph nodes, postoperative exhaust recovery, dietary recovery, hospital stay and morbidity of complication were compared between two the groups.
Results: No significant differences were observed in operative time [(144.0 ± 40.1) min vs. (115.8 ± 30.8) min], blood loss [(72.9 ± 50.2) ml vs. (45.5 ± 52.4) ml], number of retrieved lymph nodes [(10.2 ± 8.4) vs. (12.0 ± 5.6)], time to bowel function return [(3.2 ± 0.7) d vs. (2.8 ± 0.8) d], time to liquid diet [(4.2 ± 1.1) d vs. (3.8 ± 0.9) d], time to semisolid diet [(8.6 ± 2.1) d vs (8.1 ± 1.7) d], and postoperative hospital stay [(13.0 ± 3.4) d vs. (12.8 ± 7.2) d] between two groups (all P>0.05). Complication rate of conventional group and the reduced-port group was 15.4% and 7.2% without significant difference (P=0.233).
Conclusions: For cancer at the sigmoid colon and upper rectum, reduced-port laparoscopic surgery is feasible, safe and radical as the five-port in terms of technical and oncologic issues. These two procedures have the same short-term outcome.