Dual-incision laparoscopic surgery for right-sided colon cancer

Background: Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer has become a standard surgical procedure in recent years. Furthermore, reduced port surgery (RPS) has become popular due to fewer ports and trocars, leading to reduction in wound pain and improved cosmetic outcome. In July 2013, RPS was introduced to our hospital. In all cases, an umbilical incision was the main port used to remove specimens and perform anastomosis. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of dual-incision laparoscopic surgery (DILS), which has 2 ports as an RPS for right-sided colon cancer. Methods: Thirteen patients with Stage 0, I, and IIA right-sided colon cancer underwent DILS from July 2013 to February 2014 and were compared to 19 patients who underwent multiport laparoscopic surgery (MPS). Patient demographics and intra-/post-operative factors were evaluated. Results: There were no significant differences in age, gender, body mass index, tumor location, clinical stage, or surgical procedure between MPS and DILS patients. Clinicopathologically, there were no significant differences in the number of lymph nodes dissected, blood loss, or complications between MPS and DILS patients. The median number of port sites was 2 and 5 in DILS and MPS patients, respectively (P < 0.001). DILS operative time was shorter than MPS (Median, 246 versus 273 min, P = 0.032); DILS patient postoperative hospital stay was also shorter than MPS patients (Median, 11 versus 14 days, P = 0.003). Conclusions: Results of this study suggest that DILS is an effective technique for colon cancer, which achieves a better cosmetic outcome by using fewer port sites.