Adequacy of lymphadenectomy in laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery: a single-centre, retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at evaluating the lymph node (LN) harvest after both open and laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery.


METHODS
In the period between 1996 and 2009, 404 patients with colorectal cancer underwent open resection, whereas 147 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery.


RESULTS
The overall number of harvested LNs was significantly higher in the laparoscopic group than in the open one (16.5 vs. 14.3, P<0.001). A higher number of LNs was found in moderately differentiated tumors of the laparoscopic group when compared with the open surgery group (16.7 vs. 14.2, P<0.01). The numbers of harvested LNs in the proximal tumors and in stage II and III tumors were higher in the laparoscopic group than in the open group (18.9 vs. 15.4, P<0.001; 17.9 vs. 14.2, P=0.002; 17.3 vs. 15.3, P=0.02, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer can achieve LN retrieval similar to that achieved by the open approach.
Department of Medical and Surgical Critical Care, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. fabio.cianchi@unifi.it
Fabio
F
Cianchi
Camillo
C
Cortesini
Giacomo
G
Trallori
Luca
L
Messerini
Luca
L
Novelli
Camilla Eva
CE
Comin
Etleva
E
Qirici
Andrea
A
Bonanomi
Giuseppe
G
Macrì
Benedetta
B
Badii
Aurora
A
Kokomani
Giuliano
G
Perigli
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008197:Lymph Node Excision / Q000379:methods*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012189:Retrospective Studies