Laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer at a tertiary hospital in central Vietnam: a retrospective descriptive study

Van Thoi Dang; Duc Hieu Nguyen

doi:10.23750/abm.2026.19133

Authors

Van Thoi Dang Surgery Department, Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy
Duc Hieu Nguyen Surgery Department, Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy, Da Nang, Vietnam

Keywords:

colon cancer, laparoscopic colectomy, early outcomes

Abstract

Background and aim: Colon cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Laparoscopic colectomy is increasingly used because it provides oncologic adequacy together with enhanced postoperative recovery. This study aimed to describe the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with colon cancer and to evaluate early postoperative outcomes after laparoscopic surgery at a tertiary hospital in central Vietnam.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective descriptive observational study of 54 patients with pathologically confirmed colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery at a tertiary hospital between February 2024 and March 2025. Patients with locally invasive tumors, distant metastasis, recurrent disease, synchronous malignancy, or unstable severe comorbidity were excluded. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records and analyzed using SPSS 22.0 using descriptive statistics.

Results: Colonoscopy most frequently identified tumors in the sigmoid colon (35.2%), and exophytic lesions were the predominant gross appearance (75.0%). All tumors were adenocarcinomas; tubular adenocarcinoma accounted for 85.2%, and stage II–III disease accounted for 75.9%. Laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy was the most common procedure (33.3%). Mean operative time was 155.5 ± 18.8 minutes, mean time to first flatus was 2.4 ± 1.0 days, and mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.6 ± 2.1 days. Early postoperative complications occurred in 9.3% of patients, including surgical site infection in 7.4% and anastomotic leakage in 1.9%.

Conclusions: In this single-center retrospective series, laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer was associated with low early postoperative morbidity and rapid postoperative recovery in selected patients. Most patients nevertheless presented with stage II–III disease, underlining the need for earlier detection.

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