Port-site metastasis in the abdominal wall: fact or fiction?

Port-site metastasis (PSM) following minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is discussed and four points are addressed: 1) the occurrence of PSM; 2) the occurrence of PSM as part of distant metastasis, and the need for more studies to confirm that it can occur purely as implantation metastasis; 3) the preliminary experimental evidence suggesting that carbon dioxide might have a role in PSM and that viable cells can be dispersed by pneumoperitoneum (with more experimental work and clinical studies needed to confirm these observations); and 4) some studies showing an increased incidence of PSM after MIS compared with open surgery. Prospective randomized studies with adequate follow-up are needed to establish the validity of such reports.