Colon cancer: laparoscopic resection.

Since the first description by Jacobs [1], laparoscopic colorectal surgery has gained popularity over the past years. The acceptance of this approach has not been as fast as it was for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and other laparoscopic operations, owing to several differences: a steep learning curve of procedures that requires working in multiple abdominal quadrants, control of vascular structures, creation of intestinal anastomoses and sometimes retrieving large specimens [2, 3]. Other concerns have focused on the compliance of oncologic principles of radicality and the presumed increased incidence of port-site metastases described in early series [4]. Several advantages of laparoscopic colorectal surgery have been reported, including reduction of postoperative pain, shortened postoperative ileus and hospital stay, and recently a potential benefit in immune response and oncologic results [5–7]. The objective of this review is to describe the technical issues of laparoscopic-assisted colectomy (LAC) for malignancies, making special reference to the data available on the achievement of oncological principles and the comparison of results with open techniques [8].