OBJECTIVETo compare the effects of hand-assisted laparoscopic and traditional laparoscopic right hemicolectomy on immune function.

METHODSFrom May 2010 to November 2013, 60 patients with right colon carcinoma were prospectively enrolled and randomly divided into hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery(HALS) group and traditional laparoscopic surgery(TLS) group with 30 cases in each group. CRP, IL-6, CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ in the peripheral blood were measured and compared on the first day before operation, the first, third and fifth day after operation.

RESULTSCRP and IL-6 levels in two groups were significantly increased on the first, third and fifth days(P<0.01), and peaked on the third day after operation. Postoperative CRP and IL-6 levels were slightly higher in HALS group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05). CD3+ and CD4+ levels were significantly decreased on the first, third day after operation(P<0.05), and returned to preoperative levels on the fifth day after operation in both two groups, and the difference was not statistically significant(P>0.05). There was no significant difference in CD8+ between two groups either before surgery or after operation(P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONHand-assisted laparoscopic right hemicolectomy has the same effects of traditional laparoscopic right hemicolectomy in the relief of postoperative stress and the protection of immune function.