Objective: In laparoscopic-assisted left hemicolectomy, previous studies have suggested that preserving the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) may improve intestinal blood flow and reduce the incidence of anastomotic leakage. However, whether IMA should be retained is controversial currently. This study aims to investigate the short-term efficacy of the inferior mesenteric artery preservation (IMAP) and the inferior mesenteric artery resection (IMAR) on the laparoscopic-assisted radical resection of left hemicolon cancer. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted to collect the clinical data of 195 patients with left colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery in the Colorectal Surgery Department of Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from October 2012 to February 2019. After D3 radical resection for left semicolon cancer, they were divided into the IMAR group (91 cases), and the IMAP group (104 cases). In IMAR group, the left colon artery (LCA) and 1-2 branches of sigmoid artery (SA) were identified about 5 cm away from the root of the IMA, then the main IMA trunk was transected at the distal end. In IMAP group, the main trunk of IMA was dissected and the lymph nodes around IMA were cleaned. After the LCA and the first branch of SA (SA1) were separated, the LCA and SA1 were closed and cut off at the root. The intraoperative and postoperative data were compared between two groups, including the morbidity of complications within 30 days after operation, postoperative follow-up recovery, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of harvested lymph nodes, length of specimens, postoperative passage of gas and hospital stay. Results: The operation was successfully completed in all the cases without any death related to the operation. Compared with the IMAP group, the operation time was shorter [(161.8±48.0) minutes vs. (182.9±49.4) minutes, t=2.985, P=0.003], the intraoperative blood loss was less [(38.5±30.8) ml vs.(52.9±32.2) ml, t=2.088, P=0.038], the length of the resected bowel was longer [(19.2±6.0) cm vs.(17.2±5.4) cm, t=-2.447, P=0.015] in the IMAR group, whose differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the number of harvested lymph nodes, time of postoperative passage of gas and postoperative hospital stay between two groups (all P>0.05). There was no significant difference in overall morbidity of postoperative complications between the two group [6/91 (6.6%) vs. 7/104 (6.7%), χ(2)=0.001, P=0.969]. In the IMAR group, one case developed postoperative abdominal infection, two cases developed incision infection, one case developed lung infection, two cases developed intestinal obstruction, and no anastomotic bleeding occurred. In IMAP group, one case developed postoperative lung infection, one case developed incision infection, one case developed abdominal bleeding, two cases developed intestinal obstruction and two cases developed anastomotic bleeding. There was no anastomotic leakage in either group. All complications were treated by conservative treatment successfully. After a median follow-up of 12 (range 3-24) months, patients in the two groups had good intestinal blood supply after surgery, and there was no clear manifestation of congestive or ischemic enteritis under colonoscopy. Conclusion: Laparoscopic-assisted left hemicolectomy with IMA resection in patients with left hemicolon cancer provides better short-term efficacy safely and feasibly, including shorter operative time, less intraoperative bleeding and without increasing postoperative complications.
目的： 在腹腔镜辅助左半结肠切除术中，尽管有研究报道保留肠系膜下动脉（IMA）主干可改善肠道血运，降低吻合口漏发生率，但是否需要保留IMA目前临床上仍存在争议。本文探讨不保留IMA主干与保留IMA主干对结肠癌腹腔镜辅助左半结肠切除术近期疗效的影响。 方法： 采用回顾性队列研究方法，收集2012年10月至2019年2月期间，在中国医学科学院肿瘤医院结直肠外科接受腹腔镜左半结肠癌D(3)切除手术治疗的195例患者的临床资料，按IMA保留与否分为IMA切除组（91例）和IMA保留组（104例）。IMA切除组在距IMA根部约5 cm外辨识已发出左结肠动脉（LCA）及1~2支乙状结肠动脉（SA）后，于远端切断IMA主干；IMA保留组则解剖IMA主干，并清扫IMA周围淋巴结，分离出LCA及、SA第1支（SA1）后，于根部闭合切断LCA及SA1。比较两组术后30 d内并发症发生情况和术后随访恢复情况，并记录两组手术时间、术中出血量、淋巴结检出数目、标本长度和术后排气时间及住院时间等。 结果： 两组患者均顺利完成手术，无手术相关死亡病例。与IMA保留组相比，IMA切除组手术时间更短[（161.8±48.0） min比（182.9±49.4） min，t=2.985，P=0.003]，术中出血量更少[（38.5±30.8） ml比（52.9±32.2） ml，t=2.088，P=0.038]，切除肠管长度更长[（19.2±6.0） cm比（17.2±5.4） cm，t=-2.447，P=0.015]，差异均有统计学意义。两组淋巴结清扫数目、术后首次排气时间和术后住院时间的差异均无统计学意义（均P>0.05）。IMA切除组与IMA保留组患者总并发症发生率分别为[6.6%（6/91）比6.7%（7/104）]，差异无统计学意义（χ(2)=0.001，P=0.969）。其中IMA切除组术后腹腔感染1例，切口感染2例，肺部感染1例，肠梗阻2例，无吻合口出血发生；IMA保留组术后肺部感染1例，切口感染1例，腹腔出血1例，肠梗阻2例，吻合口出血2例。两组术后均无吻合口漏发生。所有并发症均经保守治疗痊愈。中位随访12（3~24）个月，两组患者术后肠管血运良好，肠镜均未见明确充血性或缺血性肠炎表现。 结论： 不保留IMA的腹腔镜辅助左半结肠切除术并不会增加左半结肠癌患者的术后并发症发生风险。.
Keywords: Colon neoplasms, left side; Left hemicolectomy; Safety; Superior mesenteric artery.