OBJECTIVETo investigate the safety and feasibility of laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy using caudal-to-cranial approach (yellow-white borderline between right mesostenium and retroperitoneal is firstly cut as the entry to dissect the fusion fascial space between the visceral and parietal peritoneum, which is called caudal-to-cranial approach for right hemicolectomy).

METHODSFrom January 2014 to May 2015, 76 consecutive patients with right side colon cancer underwent laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy using caudal-to-cranial approach. The baseline characteristics, intraoperative and postoperative outcomes were prospective collected and reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTSAll the 76 patients completed operations successfully, and one patient (1.3%) was converted to open surgery because of intraoperative bleeding due to unexpected injury of ileocolic artery. The mean operative time was (152.8±42.1) min with a mean estimated blood loss of (70.4±43.5) ml. The mean time of first flatus was (49.3±22.9) h and mean liquid oral intake was (58.5±17.6) h. The postoperative complications appeared in 7 patients (9.2%), including one (1.3%) of pulmonary infection, one(1.3%) of urinary system infection, two (2.6%) of wound infection, two (2.6%) of inflammatory bowel obstruction and one (1.3%) of lymphatic fistula, and they were all cured with conservative treatments. The postoperative hospital stay was (7.8±5.4) d. The mean number of harvested lymph node was 34.2±10.9, among which 4.1±2.8 was positive.

CONCLUSIONSLaparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy using caudal-to-cranial approach is safe and feasible.