Is laparoscopic selective lateral lymph node dissection for locally advanced rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy safe?

Background This study aimed to evaluate the technical feasibility, safety and oncological outcomes of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) with selective lateral lymph node (LLN) dissection (sLLND) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) and clinically suspected swollen LLNs treated with preoperative neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (nCRT). Methods Consecutive patients with LARC and swollen LLNs who underwent laparoscopic TME and sLLND following nCRT between October 2012 and October 2018 were reviewed from the prospectively collected database. Patient demographics, operation safety, perioperative complications and oncological outcomes were analysed. Results A total of 43 patients were identified. All procedures were completed under laparoscopy without conversion to open surgery. The median operation time was 313 min (range 170-570 min). The median blood loss was 80 mL (range 30-450 mL). The median number of LLNs harvested was 11 (range 1-29). LLN metastasis was found in 12 patients (27.9%). Major post-operative complications were found in four patients (9.3%). The median hospital stay was 7 days (range 4-27 days). The median time to tolerance to liquid food was 72 h (range 36-120 h). The post-operative 30-day mortality rate was 0%. Over the median follow-up of 24 months, no lateral pelvic recurrence developed. For the whole group of patients, the 2-year cumulative overall survival and disease-free survival were 90.5% and 78.1%, respectively. Conclusion With the advantages of a minimally invasive approach, laparoscopic TME and sLLND following preoperative nCRT in patients with LARC and swollen LLNs is safe and feasible. This procedure provides acceptable perioperative and oncological outcomes.