Oncological right hemicolectomy in a trimodal comparison: open surgery versus laparoscopic procedures with extra- and intracorporeal anastomosis technique

This study aimed to investigate the surgical short- and mid-term outcomes, as well as the impact on quality of life and recovery, following oncological right hemicolectomy. To accomplish this, three patient cohorts were examined, which included laparotomy OA), laparoscopy with intracorporeal anastomosis (LIA), and laparoscopy with extracorporeal anastomosis (LEA). Our hypothesis was that the group undergoing intracorporeal anastomosis would demonstrate superior outcomes compared to the other cohorts.

The analysis included a total of 135 patients who were enrolled between 2015 and 2020. In addition to retrospectively collected data, we conducted follow-up surveys using a validated Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. These surveys were conducted between July and September 2021 to gather comprehensive information regarding the patients’ quality of life.

The study cohort was divided into OA (n = 67), LEA (n = 14), and LIA (n = 54). The duration of surgery was significantly longer in the laparoscopic groups (median = 200.5 (LEA) and 184.0 (LIA) min vs 170.0 min (OA); p = 0.007), while the length of hospital stay was significantly shorter (median = 6.0 and 7.0 days vs 9.0 days; p = 0.005). The overall postoperative complication rate was significantly higher in the laparotomy group compared to the intracorporeal group (64.2% vs 35.2%; p = 0.006), with the extracorporeal group having a rate of 42.9%. Reoperation within 30 days occurred exclusively in the open surgery group (n = 9; 13.43%; p = 0.007). The overall response rate to the survey was 75%. Overall, the GIQLI score was comparable among the three groups, and there were no significant differences in the questions related to recovery, regained function, and contentment.

The laparoscopic approaches demonstrated significantly lower complication rates compared to laparotomy, while no significant differences were observed between the two laparoscopic techniques.