Trocar site tumor recurrences. May pneumoperitoneum be responsible?

Abstract

Background: Port site metastasis following laparoscopy for cancer is reported with increasing frequency and represents one of the most important limitations of the technique.

Methods: A scintigraphic model was utilized to evaluate a possible role of pneumoperitoneum in tumor cell dissemination. Labeled red blood cells (RBC) were injected at the level of the gallbladder bed during laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) performed for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis. LC was performed in two groups with standard CO2 pneumoperitoneum: in one group an endobag for retrieval of the specimen was utilized. In one group a gasless LC with endobag was performed.

Results: Radioactivity in the area of the trocar introduction was observed in almost all the patients who underwent standard (CO2) LC but represented a rare event in patients treated with the gasless method. The utilization of a protective bag for the extraction of the surgical specimen did not modify significantly the results. Moreover all patients treated with pneumoperitoneum demonstrated a wide intraperitoneal diffusion of the tracer not observed in gasless patients.

Conclusions: The results of this study confirm that pneumoperitoneum may play an important role in the evolution of port site metastasis after laparoscopy for gastrointestinal cancer.