title: Complete mesocolic excision in right hemicolectomy: comparison between hand-assisted laparoscopic and open approaches.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To demonstrate the feasibility, safety, and technical strategies of hand-assisted laparoscopic complete mesocolic excision (HAL-CME) and to compare oncological outcomes between HAL-CME and the open approach (O-CME) for right colon cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who were scheduled to undergo a right hemicolectomy were divided into HAL-CME and O-CME groups. Measured outcomes included demographic variables, perioperative parameters, and follow-up data. Demographic variables included age, sex distribution, body mass index (BMI), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status classification, previous abdominal surgery, tumor localization, and potential comorbidities. Perioperative parameters included incision length, operative time, blood loss, conversion rate, postoperative pain score, postoperative first passage of flatus, duration of hospital stay, total cost, number of lymph nodes retrieved, TNM classification, and postoperative complications. Follow-up data included follow-up time, use of chemotherapy, local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, and short-term survival rate.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 150 patients (HAL-CME, 78; O-CME, 72) were included. The groups were similar in age, sex distribution, BMI, ASA classification, history of previous abdominal surgeries, tumor localization, and potential comorbidities. Patients in the HAL-CME group had shorter incision lengths, longer operative times, less operative blood loss, lower pain scores, earlier first passage of flatus, shorter hospital stay, higher total costs, similar numbers of lymph nodes retrieved, similar TNM classifications, and a comparable incidence of postoperative complications. The 2 groups were also similar in local recurrence rate, distant metastasis rate, and short-term survival rate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results demonstrate that the HAL-CME procedure is a safe, valid, and feasible surgical method for right hemicolon cancers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qin-Song
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Sheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, Yinzhou No.3 Hospital, Ningbo, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chai
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Bin
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Fan-Long
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jin-Hai
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Colorectal and Anal Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jian-Jiang
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Lin
keywords: Colectomy; Colon neoplasms; Hand-assisted laparoscopy; Laparoscopy; Lymph node excision; Mesocolon