Safety and Efficacy of Single-Port Colectomy for Sigmoid Colon Cancer: A Phase II Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND: Recently, single-port surgery for colon cancer has been increasingly attempted. However, prospective studies investigating the efficacy of single-port colectomy for colon cancer are lacking. The aim of this study is to determine whether single-port colectomy for sigmoid colon cancer is a safe and effective surgical option. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients were enrolled for this prospective single-arm Phase II trial. All patients underwent single-port laparoscopic-assisted sigmoidectomy through the umbilicus. The primary outcome was the number of retrieved lymph nodes. Secondary measures included the conversion rate, postoperative morbidities, mortalities, and short-term clinical outcomes. RESULTS: The mean number of retrieved lymph nodes was 21.1 (95% confidence interval, 18.1-23.99). The conversion rate was 14.6% (open conversion, 4.2%), and the overall proportion of morbidity was 31.2%. The majority of complications involved wound problems (18.8%); the mortality rate was 0%. The median postoperative hospital stay was 8 days (range, 7-12 days), and the median time from surgery until the first episode of flatus was 3 days (range, 1-5 days). CONCLUSIONS: Single-port colectomy for sigmoid colon cancer is safe and oncologically feasible in selected patients. Considering the relatively high conversion rates, improvement of the instruments for single-port colectomy is needed.