Clinical Outcomes after Intracorporeal versus Extracorporeal Anastomosis in Patients Undergoing Laparoscopic Right Hemicolectomy for Colon Cancer

Background and Objectives: Laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRHC) is commonly performed for patients with colon cancer, selecting between intracorporeal anastomosis (ICA) or extracorporeal anastomosis (ECA). However, the impact of ICA versus ECA on patient outcomes remains debatable. The varying levels of experience among surgeons may influence the outcomes. Therefore, this study sought to compare the short- and long-term outcomes of LRHC using ICA versus ECA. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study extracted patient data from the medical records database of Changhua Christian Hospital, Taiwan, from 2017 to 2020. Patients with colon cancer who underwent LRHC with either ICA or ECA were included. Primary outcomes were post-surgical outcomes and secondary outcomes were recurrence rate, overall survival (OS), and cancer-specific survival (CSS). Between-group differences were compared using chi-square, t-tests, and Fisher's exact tests and Mann-Whitney U tests. Associations between study variables, OS, and CSS were determined using Cox analyses. Results: Data of 240 patients (61 of ICA and 179 of ECA) with a mean age of 65.0 years and median follow-up of 49.3 months were collected. No recognized difference was found in patient characteristics between these two groups. The ICA group had a significantly shorter operation duration (median (IQR): 120 (110-155) vs. 150 (130-180) min) and less blood loss (median (IQR): 30 (10-30) vs. 30 (30-50) mL) than the ECA group (p < 0.001). No significant differences were found in 30-day readmission (ICA vs. ECA: 1.6% vs. 2.2%, p > 0.999) or recurrence (18.0% vs. 13.4%, p = 0.377) between the two groups. Multivariable analyses revealed no significant differences in OS (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR): 0.65; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-1.44) or CSS (adjusted sub-hazard ratio (aSHR): 0.41, 95% CI: 0.10-1.66) between groups. Conclusions: Both ICA and ECA in LRHC for colon cancer had similar outcomes without statistically significant differences in post-surgical complications, 30-day readmission rates, recurrence rate, and long-term survival outcomes. However, ICA may offer two advantages in terms of a shorter operative duration and reduced blood loss.