Laparoscopic hand-assisted extended right hemicolectomy for cancer management.

UNLABELLED: Laparoscopic extended right hemicolectomy for cancer management is an uncommon operation because it is difficult to divide the middle colic vessels laparoscopically in an oncologic resection. Furthermore, some surgeons believe a left hemicolectomy is an adequate alternative. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of performing a laparoscopic hand-assisted extended right hemicolectomy for cancer located between the distal transverse colon and the proximal descending colon. The technique was described and demonstrated with a video presentation. The clinical outcome was recorded for four consecutive patients. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi: 10.1007/s00464-006-9128-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.