A case-matched comparison of single-incision versus multiport laparoscopic right colectomy for colon cancer

To minimize the parietal trauma associated with multiple surgical access sites, single-incision laparoscopic surgery for colectomy has been emerging with the improvements in instrumentation and surgical techniques. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinicopathological outcomes between single-incision laparoscopic right colectomy (SILC) and multiport laparoscopic right colectomy (MLC) for right colon cancer. Thirty-five consecutive patients undergoing SILC from a prospective single-institution database were case matched according to demographic data to an equivalent number of patients who underwent MLC. The SILC patients had decreased scores for maximal pain assessed by a visual analog scale on postoperative days 1 and 3, and used fewer postoperative systemic narcotics. The median length of the hospital stay for the SILC patients was significantly shorter compared with the MLC patients. The postoperative morbidity rates were similar between the groups. The oncological findings were not significantly different between the groups. SILC is a feasible and safe alternative to conventional MLC for patients with right colon cancer.