[A case of reduced port surgery after laparoscopic-assisted colectomy]

A 52-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital because of melena and right abdominal pain. Detailed gastrointestinal examination revealed ascending colon cancer. She underwent laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy and D3 lymphadenectomy using 5 ports. After surgery, the patient refused adjuvant chemotherapy. Outpatient follow-up was periodically performed and included blood examination and imaging studies, but she refused colonoscopy. Four and a half years after the initial operation, stool was positive for occult blood. Following colon examination, descending colon cancer was diagnosed. Therefore, the patient underwent colectomy and D3 lymphadenectomy by double incision laparoscopic surgery (DILS) using the glove method. There were no adhesions in the operation field; therefore, laparoscopic surgery was effortless. Because there were almost no adhesions following the first laparoscopic surgery, the second laparoscopic surgery for metachronous colon cancer was possible.