Comparison of the short-term outcomes of reduced-port laparoscopic surgery and conventional multiport surgery in colon cancer: a propensity score matching analysis

Purpose The feasibility of reduced-port laparoscopic surgery (RPS) in colon cancer remains uncertain. This study aimed to compare the short-term outcomes of RPS and multiport surgery (MPS) in colon cancer using propensity score matching analysis. Methods A total of 302 patients with colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic anterior resection (AR) (n = 184) or right hemicolectomy (RHC) (n = 118) by a single surgeon between January 2011 and January 2017 were included. Short-term outcomes were compared between RPS and MPS. Results Seventy-three patients in the AR group and 23 in the RHC group underwent RPS. After propensity score matching, the RPS and MPS groups showed similar baseline characteristics. In the AR group, patients who underwent RPS (n = 72) showed a shorter operation time (114.4 ± 28.7 minutes vs. 126.7 ± 34.5 minutes, P = 0.021) and a longer time to gas passage (3.6 ± 1.7 days vs. 2.6 ± 1.5 days, P = 0.005) than MPS (n = 72). Similarly, in the RHC group, the operation time was shorter (112.6 ± 26.0 minutes vs. 146.5 ± 31.2 minutes, P = 0.005), and the time to first flatus was longer (2.7 ±1.1 days vs. 3.8 ± 1.3 days, P = 0.004) in the RPS group (n = 23) than in the MPS group (n = 23). Other short-term outcomes were similar for RPS and MPS in both the AR and RHC groups. Conclusion The short-term outcomes of RPS were found to be acceptable compared to those of MPS in colon cancer surgery.