Comparison of long-term outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted and open colectomy for splenic flexure cancer

Purpose: This study aimed to use propensity score matching (PSM) to compare long-term outcomes after laparoscopic-assisted and open colectomy for splenic flexure cancer (SFC). Methods: Clinical and follow-up data from 189 SFC patients undergoing colectomy at our hospital between January 2009 and January 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the surgical approach employed, the patients were categorized into a laparoscopy group and an open group. The patients were matched at a ratio of 1:1 using PSM, with the match variables including gender, body mass index, clinical stage, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score. Sixty-two patients in each group were ultimately included in this study and their short-and long-term outcomes were compared. Results: In contrast to the open group, the laparoscopy group had less intraoperative blood loss, faster postoperative recovery, and shorter hospitalization duration. On day 30 after surgery, there was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of minor or major complications between the two groups. The intraoperative mortality and mortality within 30 days after surgery were all 0% in the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in pathological results between the two groups. There was no statistically significant difference in the tumor recurrence, 5-year overall survival (OS), and 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates between the two groups. Conclusion: Laparoscopic-assisted colectomy for SFC had the same long-term outcome as open colectomy.