Laparoscopic surgery for Left colon cancer: Clinical features and early outcomes – A single-institution retrospective series

Tóm tắt

Introduction: Left colon cancer represents a significant proportion of colorectal malignancies and poses challenges in surgical management. Laparoscopic surgery offers potential benefits for treating left colon cancer, but the complex anatomy and risk of complications necessitate careful evaluation of outcomes. While this approach has gained popularity in Vietnam, data on factors influencing early postoperative outcomes in the Vietnamese population are limited. 

Aims: This study aimed to (1) investigate clinical and laboratory characteristics, (2) evaluate early postoperative outcomes, and (3) identify associated factors in left colon cancer patients undergoing laparoscopic left colectomy at Binh Dan Hospital. 

Methods: We conducted a retrospective case series analysis of 133 patients with left colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic left colectomy at Binh Dan Hospital, Vietnam, from January 2022 to December 2023. Data on demographics, clinical presentations, laboratory findings, imaging results, surgical protocols, and postoperative outcomes were collected from medical records. 

Results: The mean age of patients was 60.9 ± 1.1 years, with a male-to-female ratio of 1.3:1. The most common presenting symptoms were abdominal pain 86%, changes in bowel habits 68%, and bloody stools 55%. Sigmoid colon was the most frequent tumor location 79.7%. The average operative time was 191.47 ± 52.12 minutes. Early postoperative complications occurred in 8.3% of cases. Factors significantly associated with better outcomes included complete colonoscopy p=0.015 and sigmoid colon tumor location p=0.050 compared to more proximal locations. Postoperative serum albumin levels were also correlated with outcomes p=0.048. 

Conclusion: Laparoscopic surgery for left colon cancer at Binh Dan Hospital demonstrated favorable early outcomes with a low complication rate. Complete preoperative colonoscopy and tumor location were identified as factors influencing early outcomes. Future research should focus on larger, multi-center studies with longer follow-up periods. Efforts to enhance public awareness about colorectal cancer screening, improve preoperative evaluations, and develop standardized perioperative care protocols are recommended to further improve patient.