Inferior Mesenteric Artery First Combined With Complete Medial Approach for Laparoscopic Splenic Flexure Mobilization in Left Sided Colorectal Cancer

Laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection is primarily employed for the treatment of tumors located in distal transverse colon , splenic flexure of colon, descending colon, and proximal segment of the sigmoid colon. Numerous factors impact the difficulty of surgery, with research suggesting that mobilization of the splenic flexure independently predicts longer operative times in laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection . Splenic flexure mobilization is independently associated with an increased risk of splenic injury, which contributes to elevated short-term and long-term mortality risks in patients. The crucial aspect of radical surgery is complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation and the Japanese D3 lymphadenectomy. For tumors located in descending colon and sigmoid-descending junction, the lymph node dissection range includes the central lymph node group (No.253) at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) . In cases of cancer in the left half of the transverse colon or in the splenic flexure of colon, in addition to IMA root lymph node dissection, it is imperative to perform dissection of lymph nodes (No.223) at the root of the middle colic artery (MCA).Therefore, for laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection, ensuring the safety of splenic flexure mobilization and maintaining the quality of lymph nodes dissection are both crucial.

Currently, traditional surgical approaches for laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection include the medial approach, lateral approach, anterior approach, and various combinations of these methods. Due to variations in anatomical understanding, many teams propose the combined application of multiple approaches, each demonstrating a certain level of safety and feasibility.