title: Laparoscopic colon resection for polyps: a good novice case?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Laparoscopic colon resection of the endoscopically unresectable polyp has been considered an ideal case for the surgeon with moderate laparoscopic colectomy experience because tissues are not inflamed and the lymphadenectomy may not need to be as extensive compared with that required for cancer. To assess the appropriateness of this approach, we evaluated the incidence of invasive cancer in a series of laparoscopic colon resections for polyps.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective review was performed of 55 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colon resection for endoscopically unresectable polyps during a 35-month period. Colonoscopy data, polyp characteristics, and final colon pathology were reviewed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On final pathologic examination, 18.2 percent of patients had invasive adenocarcinoma. Patient age, gender, indication for colonoscopy, polyp size, polyp location, polyp characteristics, and colonoscopic biopsy pathology were not predictive of adenocarcinoma on final pathology.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant number of endoscopically unresectable polyps harbor adenocarcinoma, thereby requiring a formal lymphadenectomy at resection. Caution should be exercised when considering the laparoscopic resection of an endoscopically unresectable polyp as a "learning" case.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Howard M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ross
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fogt
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000368:Aged; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003082:Colectomy / Q000193:education; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003111:Colonic Polyps / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012189:Retrospective Studies