LYMPHOVASCULAR CLEARANCE IN LAPAROSCOPICALLY ASSISTED RIGHT HEMICOLECTOMY IS SIMILAR TO OPEN SURGERY

Background: The application of laparoscopic techniques to malignant co lorectal disease has led to concerns regarding the adequacy of excisio n achieved. This study was performed to compare specimen histopatholog y following laparoscopically assisted right hemicolectomy (LARHC) with that following open right hemicolectomy (ORHC). Methods: Data regardi ng patient details and tumour pathology were obtained by case-note rev iew and from the Concord Hospital Colorectal Cancer Database. Thirty-t wo patients had LARHC for neoplastic lesions and 34 had ORHC for simil ar lesions over the same period. The two groups were well matched with respect to age, sex, weight and tumour characteristics. Early stage d isease was more common in the LARHC group. Results: There was no clini cally significant difference between the groups in terms of margins of clearance or number of lymph nodes harvested. Conclusions: LARHC allo ws lymphovascular clearance indistinguishable from that afforded by op en surgery. Long-term outcome and survival data are required to confir m its role in the treatment of malignant colorectal disease.