Single-access laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery using the glove technique

Area of Science:

• Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Gastrointestinal Surgery

Background:

• Single-access laparoscopic surgery is common, but rectal procedures face challenges like instrument collision.
• The glove technique is proposed to address these specific technical difficulties in rectal surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and oncologic outcomes of the glove technique for single-access laparoscopic rectal surgery.
• To determine if the glove technique can mitigate technical drawbacks in single-access rectal cancer surgery.

Main Methods:

• Fourteen patients with anal canal to mid-rectum cancers underwent single-access laparoscopic surgery using the glove technique.
• The procedure involved a paraumbilical incision, glove insertion, medial-to-lateral dissection, and total mesorectal excision.

Main Results:

• The average operative time was 251.66 minutes, with a median hospital stay of 7 days.
• No serious early postoperative complications were observed, and pathologic results showed good mesorectal capsule grading.
• Mean lymph node harvest was 14 nodes, with a mean wound length of 5 cm.

Conclusions:

• The glove technique is a feasible approach for single-access laparoscopic rectal surgery.
• Oncologic results achieved with the glove technique are comparable to commercial single-port methods.