Should completely intracorporeal anastomosis be considered in obese patients who undergo laparoscopic colectomy for benign or malignant disease of the colon?

BACKGROUND: The outcome of laparoscopic colectomy with completely intracorporeal anastomosis (LCIA) in obese and nonobese patients is assessed.
METHODS: Forty-five consecutive patients who underwent LCIA for benign or malignant disease of the right and proximal left colon were reviewed prospectively. Obesity was defined as a body mass index of >30 kg/m(2).
RESULTS: There were 24 men (53%) and 21 women (47%) with a mean age of 67 years (46-84 years). The mean body mass index was 27 kg/m(2) (16-38 kg/m(2)); 13 patients (29%) were obese. One procedure was converted to a laparoscopic-assisted colectomy. The mean operative time, estimated blood loss, and duration of stay were 218 minutes (110-420 minutes), 82 mL (50-250 mL), and 5 days (2-11 days), respectively. The mean length of the larger incision (extraction site) and the sum of all port incisions was 4 cm (3-8 cm) and 7 cm (6-10 cm), respectively. Complications occurred in 8 of 45 patients (18%), with no deaths. The mean number of harvested lymph nodes per specimen was 11 (3-30 lymph nodes). Obesity had no effect on operative time (obese patients, 232 minutes; nonobese patients, 213 minutes), incision length (obese patients, 4 cm; nonobese patients, 4 cm) estimated blood loss (obese patients, 100 mL; nonobese patients, 76 mL), complications (obese patients, 15%; nonobese patients, 19%), duration of stay (obese patients, 5 days; nonobese patients, 5 days), or number of harvested lymph nodes (obese patients, 11 lymph nodes; nonobese patients, 11 lymph nodes). There were no port-site hernias or metastases during a mean follow-up period of 5 months (1-18 months).
CONCLUSIONS: LCIA can offer smaller incisions, improved cosmesis, and low conversion rates while oncologic principles are preserved. LCIA is a feasible and safe technique with equally successful outcomes in thin and obese patients.