Comparison of clinical outcomes of single-incision versus multi-port laparoscopic surgery for rectosigmoid or upper rectal cancer

Background Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for rectal cancer is technically challenging, and its clinical impact is unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical outcomes of SILS for rectal cancer compared with multi-port laparoscopic surgery (MPLS). Patients and methods We retrospectively analyzed 357 consecutive patients with stage I–III rectal cancer located in the rectosigmoid or upper rectum who underwent SILS or MPLS between January 2012 and December 2016, using propensity score-matched analysis. Results After propensity score-matching, we enrolled 204 patients ( n = 102 per group). Before matching, significant group-dependent differences were observed in tumor location ( p