Single-Incision Laparoscopic Colectomy for Colon Cancer: Experiences with 308 Consecutive Cases

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) has been developed with the aim to further reduce the invasiveness of conventional laparoscopy. Our experiences with more than 300 consecutive patients with SILS for colon cancer are reviewed, and its outcomes are evaluated to determine the midterm clinical and oncologic safety of SILS for colon cancer in a community hospital. A single surgeon's consecutive experience of SILS for colon cancer is presented. Three hundred and eight patients were treated with the SILS procedure for colon cancer between December 2010 and March 2015. Data were analyzed according to intention to treat. Of these 308 patients, 19 (6.2%) were converted to laparotomy. Intraoperative injury occurred in five patients. Postoperative complications occurred in 19 patients (6.2%). The 2-year relapse-free survival rates of patients with Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III were 97.8, 92.2, and 80.4 per cent, respectively, and the 2-year overall survival rates of patients with Stage I, Stage II, Stage III, and Stage IV were 100, 95.7, 93.0, and 74.4 per cent, respectively. Our initial experiences showed that SILS colectomy for cancer can be performed safely and with good short-term oncologic outcomes by a skilled surgeon.