PURPOSE

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate prospectively the abdominal wall recurrence rate after laparoscopic resection for colorectal cancer, to analyze the impact of the learning curve on abdominal wall recurrence, and to assess the outcome of those patients.

METHODS

The Italian Registry of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery database was analyzed to obtain data on cancer patients with abdominal wall recurrence, concomitant local or distant metastases, and interval between initial surgery and diagnosis of trocar site or minilaparotomy recurrences. The records of the initial procedures and the technique of specimen removal were reviewed.

RESULTS

From January 1992 to July 2000, 2,583 patients (1,753 cases of carcinomas and 830 cases of benign diseases) were recorded. The malignant lesions were located on the right colon in 19 percent, the left colon in 48.8 percent, and rectum in 32.2 percent. Sixteen patients with histologic evidence of colorectal adenocarcinoma recurrences at the abdominal wall were observed (0.9 percent). Ten patients presented an advanced stage (III for 7 patients and IV for 3 patients). Eleven cases occurred during the learning curve period (the first 50 consecutive cases). The median survival time after abdominal wall recurrence diagnosis was 16 (range, 12-60) months. By July 2000 only two patients were alive.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the Italian prospective Registry of Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery confirm that the incidence of abdominal wall recurrences is similar to that reported in open studies (<1 percent). Most abdominal wall recurrences occurred in the learning curve period, suggesting that surgical experience may play a role in the development of this outcome. The prognosis of these patients is very poor.