To analyze the clinical features, possible reasons and management of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy.

Clinical data of 546 patients undergoing laparoscopic-assisted radical right hemicolectomy in Peking Union Medical College Hospital from October 2010 to September 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The occurrence of anastomotic leakage and its countermeasures were evaluated.

Among 546 patients, 8 (1.5%) cases developed anastomotic leakage, including 7 males and 1 female with mean age of (54.3±10.3) years. Six cases of ascending colon cancer, 1 case of phlegmon and 1 case of arterior-venous malformation were confirmed after operation. The incidence of anastomotic leakage after D3 and D2 lymphadenectomy was 2.1% (6/290) and 0.8% (2/256) . The time from operation to the diagnosis of anastomotic leakage was (6.6 ± 3.6) days. The clinical manifestation of anastomotic leakage were stool-like drainage in 7 patients, fever in 4 and abdominal pain in 3. Amylase and bilirubin in drainage of 4 patients increased obviously. All the 8 patients underwent secondary ileostomy, including 4 with laparoscopy and 4 with laparotomy. One patient suffered from respiratory failure after re-operation because of severe abdominal infection and was cured by ventilator support treatment. Another one had pelvic encapsulated effusion and was treated by puncture drainage. All the patients discharged from hospital smoothly.

Anastomotic leakage after laparoscopic-assisted right hemicolectomy is a quite rare but serious complication, which may be associated with over-cleaning of lymph fatty tissues. Ileostomy should be the first choice of anastomotic leakage after laparoscopy-assisted right hemicolectomy and its efficacy is satisfactory.

Laparoscopy; Right hemicolectomy; Anastomotic leakage