Analysis of surgical outcomes of laparoscopic versus open surgery for locally advanced mid-transverse colon cancer

Purpose This study compared the surgical outcomes between laparoscopic colectomy (LC) and open colectomy (OC) for mid-transverse colon cancer (MTC). Methods This multicenter retrospective study compared the short- and long-term surgical outcomes for patients with advanced MTC (T3 and T4 with or without nodal involvement) who underwent LC or OC between January 2008 and December 2019 using a propensity score–matched analysis. Results A total of 177 patients with advanced MTC were enrolled. After matching, 58 cases for the OC and LC groups were selected. No significant differences in age, sex, tumor progression, or procedure type (extended resection or segmental resection) existed between groups. The LC group had significantly less blood loss (20 mL vs. 50 mL, p =0.048) and a shorter postoperative hospital stay (8 days vs. 12 days, p <0.001) than the OC group. Postoperative complications (Clavien–Dindo grade ≥ 2) occurred in 27.6% and 25.9% of the OC and LC groups respectively ( p =1). Three patients (5.2%) and one patient (1.7%) of the OC and LC groups respectively developed anastomotic leakage ( p =0.62). Re-operation was required in five patients (8.6%) in the OC group and one patient (1.7%) in the LC group ( p =0.21). No surgery-related deaths occurred in either group. The 3-year overall survival rates (stage II: LC 100% vs. OC 92.8%, p =0.15; stage III: 88.9% vs. 84.3%, p =0.88, respectively) were similar between the two groups. Conclusion LC is a minimally invasive technique with lesser blood loss, shorter postoperative hospital stays, and oncologic equivalence to OC. Hence, LC is useful for MTC treatment. Trial registration UMIN000042676