A new technique of primary retroperitoneal approach for minimally invasive surgical treatment of cecal colon cancer with d3 lymph node dissection.

Background: In patients with high BMI and cardiopulmonary disease, the specificity of the laparoscopic approach may be an obstacle to the use of minimally invasive surgery. The primary retroperitoneal approach may overcome some of the unfavorable aspects of laparoscopic surgery and provide new possibilities for minimally invasive treatments. In this report, we present right colon resection using a primary retroperitoneal approach, in a patient with adhesions caused by previous surgical interventions.

Methods: A single-port single-access system is placed in the right lateral region of the abdomen. Dissection was performed between Toldt's fascia and Gerota's fascia. Medial to the head of the pancreas, the posterior layer of the mesentery was dissected along the course of the superior mesenteric artery and the dissection continues caudally. The roots of the ileocolic vessels were identified, clipped and cut at their origin while the dissection of the D3 lymph node was carried out along the trunk of Gillot up to the origin of the middle colic artery.

Results: The right colonic resection with D3 lymph node dissection was performed with primary retroperitoneal approach. The duration of the surgery was 240 min, with blood loss up to 100 ml. The incidence of pain syndrome in the early postoperative period was low and the hospital stay lasted 7 days.

Conclusion: The primary retroperitoneal approach appears to be safe for the treatment of cecal colon cancer. The anatomical structures are accessible and easy to visualize, allowing for safe resection of the right colon with extended D3 lymph node dissection.