Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis: short- and long-term benefits in comparison with extracorporeal anastomosis.

BACKGROUND: Laparoscopic right colectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis is a procedure of increasing popularity. This study aims to compare short- and long-term outcomes of intracorporeal and extracorporeal anastomoses. METHODS: This is a comparative study of two anastomosis techniques for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy. A total of 191 consecutive patients, operated for neoplasm of the right colon, were identified. The intracorporeal group included 91 patients and the extracorporeal group 100 patients. RESULTS: Patient demographics and disease-related characteristics were similar. Mean operative time was longer in the intracorporeal group (155 vs. 142 min; P = 0.006). Intracorporeal anastomosis was associated with less overall postoperative complications (18.7 vs. 35 %, P = 0.011) and decreased rate of surgical site infections (4.4 vs. 14 %, P = 0.023). The need for postoperative intervention (Clavien-Dindo 3) was higher in the extracorporeal group (7 vs. 0 %; P = 0.015). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of postoperative leak, ileus and bleeding. Mean length of stay was significantly shorter in the intracorporeal group (5.9 ± 2.1 vs. 6.9 ± 3.0; P = 0.04). Moreover, more patients with intracorporeal anastomosis had a length of stay shorter than 4 days (28.6 vs. 14.1 %, P = 0.015). Extraction incision was periumbilical in 99 % of the patients in the extracorporeal group. In the intracorporeal group extraction, incision was transverse suprapubic (Pfannenstiel) in 85.7 %, transvaginal in 9.9 % and periumbilical in 3.3 % of the patients. The incidence rate of incisional hernia was lower in the intracorporeal group (2.2 vs. 17.0 %, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis is associated with improved short- and long-term outcomes. The rates of postoperative complications requiring intervention and incisional hernias are decreased.

Laparoscopic versus open ventral hernia repair in obese patients: a long-term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Ventral hernia repair in obese patients has a high perioperative morbidity and recurrence. The laparoscopic approach may reduce those rates. This study compares those outcomes following laparoscopic ventral hernia repair (LVHR) with the standard open approach (OVHR) in obese patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of patients with a BMI > 30 kg/m(2) that had undergone ventral hernia repair (VHR) between 2004 and 2012 was included. Demographics, perioperative complications and recurrence rates were compared between the two approaches. Hernia size was divided into three categories (small, medium and large). Physical examination and CT imaging mainly evaluated recurrences. RESULTS: A total of 186 patients that underwent VHR were included, 35 patients had LVHR. Groups did not differ in terms of age, gender, ASA score, BMI and in rates of primary or incisional ventral hernia repair. The laparoscopic repairs were performed on significantly larger hernias (48.6 vs. 28.9% categorized as large, p = 0.02). The operative time was significantly longer in the laparoscopic repair (102 vs. 67 min, p < 0.01). Overall, perioperative complications following LVHR and OVHR were 17.1 versus 20.5% (p = 0.53). Wound-related complications were lower in the LVHR group (5.7 vs. 15.8%, p = 0.09). After a mean follow-up of 58 months, recurrence rates in the laparoscopic and open approaches were 20.0 versus 27.1% (p = 0.28), respectively. Advanced age was found to be a significantly protector from recurrence (OR -0.03; 95% CI 0.96-0.01, p = 0.01). OVHR carries an odds ratio of 2.7 (95% CI 0.88-8.2, p = 0.07) for recurrence compared with OVHR. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of recurrence after VHR in obese patients is high. Laparoscopic approach offers a better perioperative and recurrence outcome. We believe that change in those outcomes is possible through weight loss procedures, but may need further studies to be conducted in the form of prospective randomized trials.