Int J Colorectal Dis (2008) 23:669–673 DOI 10.1007/s00384-008-0471-7 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Surgical and pathological outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer Y. S. Lee & I. K. Lee & W. K. Kang & H. M. Cho & J. K. Park & S. T. Oh & J. G. Kim & Y. H. Kim Accepted: 4 March 2008 / Published online: 1 April 2008 # The Author(s) 2008 Abstract Purpose Several multi-institutional prospective randomized trials have demonstrated short-term benefits using laparos- copy. Now the laparoscopic approach is accepted as an alternative to open surgery for colon cancer. However, in prior trials, the transverse colon was excluded. Therefore, it has not been determined whether laparoscopy can be used in the setting of transverse colon cancer. This study evaluated the peri-operative clinical outcomes and onco- logical quality by pathologic outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer. Materials and methods Analysis of the medical records of patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resection from August 2004 to November 2007 was made. Computed tomography, barium enema, and colonoscopy were per- formed to localize the tumor preoperatively. Extended right hemicolectomy, transverse colectomy, and extended left hemicolectomy were performed for transverse colon cancer. Surgical outcomes and pathologic outcomes were compared between transverse colon cancer (TCC) and other site colon cancer (OSCC). Results Of the 312 colorectal cancer patients, 94 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for OSCC, and 34 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for TCC. Patients with Y. S. Lee : I. K. Lee : W. K. Kang : H. M. Cho : J. K. Park : S. T. Oh : J. G. Kim : Y. H. Kim Department of Surgery, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, South Korea Y. S. Lee (*) Department of Surgery, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, #665, Bupyung-6-dong, Bupyunggu, Incheon 403-720, South Korea e-mail: yslee@catholic.ac.kr TCC were similar to patients with OSCC in age, gender, body mass index, operating time, blood loss, time to pass flatus, start of diet, hospital stay, tumor size, distal resection margin, proximal resection margin, number of lymph nodes, and radial margin. One case in TCC and three cases in OSCC were converted to open surgery. Conclusions Laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer and OSCC had similar peri-operative clinical and acceptable pathological outcomes. Keywords Laparoscopy . Transverse colon . Colon cancer Introduction Since its first report [1], laparoscopic colon surgery has been controversial with regard to its use for colorectal cancer. Several prospective randomized trials including the COLOR and CLASSIC studies have demonstrated that laparoscopic- assisted surgery for colorectal cancer resulted in a shorter hospital stay, reduced analgesic use, and earlier recovery to bowel movement [2–6]. Moreover, the COST study established the long-term oncological safety of laparoscopic- assisted surgery for colon cancer, and currently the laparoscopic approach is accepted as an alternative to open surgery for colon cancer [7]. However, transverse colon cancer was excluded from prior randomized controlled trials. The reasons for exclusion of transverse colon cancer include the following: difficulty in deciding the appropriate operative procedure and extent of lymph node dissection, as well as technical difficulties with the laparoscopic identification, ligation, and lymph node dissection around the middle colic vessels. Therefore, there continues to be debate on whether to use laparoscopic surgery for transverse colon cancer. DO00471; No of Pages