Laparoscopic hand-assisted extended right hemicolectomy for cancer management

Abstract

Laparoscopic extended right hemicolectomy for cancer management is an uncommon operation because it is difficult to divide the middle colic vessels laparoscopically in an oncologic resection. Furthermore, some surgeons believe a left hemicolectomy is an adequate alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of performing a laparoscopic hand-assisted extended right hemicolectomy for cancer located between the distal transverse colon and the proximal descending colon. The technique was described and demonstrated with a video presentation. The clinical outcome was recorded for four consecutive patients.

Electronic supplementary material: The online version of this article (doi: 10.1007/s00464-006-9128-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.