Risk Factors and Oncologic Outcomes of Anastomosis Leakage After Laparoscopic Right Colectomy.

PURPOSE: We estimated the incidence of anastomosis leakage and explore possible risk factors and oncologic outcomes following laparoscopic right-side colon resection among colon cancer patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 423 patients who were diagnosed with appendiceal, cecal, ascending, or hepatic flexure colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic colonic resection and anastomosis between September 2006 and July 2014. We compared short-term and long-term outcomes between no-leakage and leakage groups.

RESULTS: There were 16 cases of right-side anastomosis leakage in a total 423 colon cancer cases (3.78%). The risk of leakage was increased in smokers (odds ratio=6.592, P=0.007) and with a longer operating time (odds ratio=1.024, P<0.001). There were no significant differences between the groups in local recurrence (P=0.106), overall survival (P=0.055), or cancer-specific survival (P=0.235).

CONCLUSIONS: Smoking and long operating time are risk factors for right-side colon anastomosis. There were no significant differences in oncologic outcomes.