The technique of laparoscopic radical right hemicolectomy is becoming mature, but there are still controversies on some key steps, including the extent of lymph node dissection, the scope of bowel resection, the choice of surgical access and anastomosis. The new function-preserving surgery and natural-orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) have further enhanced the minimally invasive nature of surgery. The author’s have reviewed the latest domestic and international literature, combined with the experience of the author’s center, and elaborated on the current focus issues of laparoscopic radical surgery for right-sided colon cancer.
ObjectiveTo explore the prevalence and adjacency of the tributaries of superior mesenteric vessel. MethodsThis study is a prospective study. The patients with right-sided colonic malignant tumor who underwent laparoscopic complete mesocolon excision at the Division of Colorectal Surgery of Peking Union Medical College Hospital from July 2016 to September 2022 were collected. The real-time observation and evaluation of vascular anatomy was performed by the operator and recorded by a resident. The continuous variables without a normal distribution were summarized as median (P25, P75). The categorical variables were presented as number (%). ResultsA total of 200 patients were enrolled, including 114 males and 86 females, with a median age of 63.5 (53.5, 72.0) years. The prevalence of ileocolic artery and vein was 98.0% (196/200) and 98.5% (197/200), respectively. There were 168 (86.2%) cases of the ileocolic vein accompanied the course of the ileocolic artery at the origin in 195 patients with simultaneous presence of ileocolic artery and vein. The right colic artery and vein was present in 39.5% (79/200) and 18.5% (37/200) patients, respectively. The prevalence of the middle colic artery and vein was 96.5% (193/200) and 90.5% (181/200), respectively. And the prevalence of the middle colic vein accompanied the path of the middle colic artery at the root was 67.8% (118/174) in the 174 patients with simultaneous presence of middle colic artery and vein. The trunk length of the middle colic artery was 2.2 (1.6, 3.2) cm. The Henle trunk was present in 185 (92.5%) cases, with a trunk length of 1.00 (0.50, 1.40) cm, and its lower edge was 2.80 (2.20, 3.30) cm from the junction of the pancreatic head and the horizontal part of the duodenum. ConclusionsThe results from the data analysis of this study suggest that the ileocolic artery and vein are present most constantly with a high incidence of the ileocolic vein accompanied the course of the ileocolic artery at the origin of superior mesenteric vessels. Therefore ileocolic artery and vein are expected to serve as an optimal anatomical landmarks for the caudal-to-cranial medial approach in laparoscopic complete mesocolon excision.