ORIGINAL ARTICLE  COLON SURGERY 

Minerva Chirurgica 2019 April;74(2):176-86

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4733.18.07803-3

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Non-anatomical colonic resections: splenic flexure and transverse colectomy. Central vascular ligation is crucial for survival

Rossella REDDAVID ¹, Laura ESPOSITO ¹, Andrea EVANGELISTA ², Silvia SOFIA ¹, Maurizio DEGIULI ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Oncology, Surgical Oncology, and Digestive Surgery, San Luigi University Hospital, University of Turin, Orbassano, Turin, Italy; ² Unit of Clinical Epidemiology, Città della Salute e della Scienza University Hospital, Turin, Italy

BACKGROUND: Cancers of the transverse colon (TC) and of the splenic flexure (SF) are rather uncommon and their prognosis has been reported significantly poorer as compared to right- and left-sided colon cancers. Several studies tried to investigate which is the optimal surgery for oncological and survival outcomes reporting extended colectomies as more effective than limited resections.
METHODS: All consecutive patients with diagnosis of colorectal cancer submitted to surgical resection with anastomosis between January 2005 and December 2016 at the Division of Surgical Oncology and Digestive Surgery, Department of Oncology, at the University of Turin, were included. Based on tumor location, patients were enrolled in arm A (cancer of the ascending colon, right (hepatic) flexure, left and sigmoid colon) or arm B (cancer of the transverse colon and of the left (splenic) flexure).
RESULTS: Out of 1433 patients registered, 500 patients fulfilled all inclusion and exclusion criteria and were allocated in arm A (N.=425) or in arm B (N.=75). Central vascular ligation and the achievement of at least 5 cm of healthy margin were always performed in all procedures of both arms. Patients’ population of the two arms was homogeneous as concerns demographic characteristics and stage of the disease. In arm A, resections were performed more frequently by mini-invasive approach as compared to arm B. Operative time was statistically longer in arm B. Postoperative complications rate was extremely low and comparable in both arms (13.4 and 8.0 in arms A and B, respectively). No postoperative mortality was observed. Overall 5-year survival rates were similar in arm A and B (82.3% and 73.05%, respectively; P=0.29). Arm B patients were treated either with more limited resections (resection of the TC and of the SF) or with extended colectomies (right- and left-sided, standard or enlarged, hemicolectomies), both associated with central vascular ligation. Despite a shorter length of surgical specimen after limited resections, postoperative complications, lymph node yield, and survival were absolutely comparable in both types of surgical treatments.
CONCLUSIONS: Limited resections for TC and SF cancers can be performed with the same clinical, oncological and survival outcomes as compared to more extended colectomies if an adequate size of the specimen for the achievement of at least 5 cm of health margin is associated to Central Vascular Ligation.

KEY WORDS: Colonic neoplasms - Transverse colon - Colectomy - Ligation