Suprapubic approach for robotic complete mesocolic excision in right colectomy: Oncologic safety and short-term outcomes of an original technique

INTRODUCTION: Right-sided colon cancer has a worse prognosis than left-sided colon cancer. Complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vessels ligation (CVL) reduces local recurrence, but is technically demanding, particularly with a laparoscopic approach. Aim of this study is to describe a new robotic approach to right colectomy with CME and CVL and to report oncologic safety and short term outcomes. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients were included. All patients had a right colon adenocarcinoma and underwent right colectomy with a suprapubic approach. Surgery was realized with the Da Vinci Xi® system and all trocars were placed along a horizontal line 3-6 cm above the pubis. CME with CVL was realized in all the patients. Data analysed were: duration of surgery, conversions to open surgery, intraoperative and postoperative complication by Clavien Dindo classification, margins of resections, length of specimen and number of lymph nodes retrieved. RESULTS: Patients median age was 69 years, median body mass index was 27 kg/m2. Median operative time was 249 min, blood loss was negligible, no conversions to open or laparoscopic surgery occurred. Median hospital stay was six days; two postoperative grade IIIa Clavien-Dindo complications occurred, no 30-days postoperative death was registered. Resection margins were negative in all patients; median tumour diameter was 3.6 cm, median specimen length was 40 cm, median number of harvested lymph nodes was 40. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic right colectomy with CME using a suprapubic approach is a feasible and safe technique that allows for an extended lymphadenectomy and provides high quality surgical specimens.