Laparoscopic cecal cancer resection in a patient with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt: A case report

INTRODUCTION: The presence of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt has been considered to be a contraindication for laparoscopic surgery till date; however, laparoscopic cholecystectomy was recently reported as safe for patients with this shunt. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present the first case, to the best of our knowledge, of laparoscopic colectomy for cecal cancer in a patient with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. A 59-year-old woman with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for hydrocephalus was referred to our hospital with cecal cancer. Laparoscopic cecal cancer resection was performed successfully and uneventfully by manipulating the shunt. DISCUSSION: Clamping of the shunt catheter at the subcutaneous region was performed before insufflation of carbon dioxide to prevent adverse effects from the pneumoperitoneum. CONCLUSION: We believe that laparoscopic colectomy for colon cancer can be performed safely in patients with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt by optimal manipulation of the shunt. (C) 2013 Surgical Associates Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open access under CC BY-NC-ND license.