Comparison of short-term outcomes of single-incision versus multi-port laparoscopic surgery for descending colon cancer: a propensity score-matched analysis

Purpose: Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) for descending colon cancer (DCC) is a technically challenging procedure with unclear clinical impact. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term outcomes of SILS for DCC compared with multi-port laparoscopic surgery (MPLS).Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 137 consecutive patients with stage I–III DCC who underwent SILS or MPLS at two high-volume multidisciplinary tertiary hospitals between April 2008 and December 2018, using propensity score-matched analysis.Results: After propensity score-matching, we enrolled 88 patients (n=44 in each group). Median follow-up period was 48 months. The completion rate for SILS was 98.1% in the overall cohort and 97.7% in the matched cohort. One patient was converted to open surgery in the MPLS group. Compared with the MPLS group, the SILS group showed significantly less blood loss and a greater number of harvested lymph nodes in both the entire patient cohort and the matched cohort. Morbidity rates did not differ significantly between groups before and after matching. R0 resection was achieved in the entire patient cohort. In terms of the incidence of recurrence, both groups were similar before and after matching. No significant differences were found between groups in terms of 3-year disease-free and overall survival rates in either the entire patient cohort or the matched cohort.Conclusions: SILS appears safe and feasible and can provide satisfactory oncological outcomes for selected patients with DCC.