Laparoscopic salvage lateral pelvic lymph node dissection for locally recurrent rectal cancer

Aim The lateral pelvic lymph nodes are one of the major sites and sources of local recurrence (LR) after surgery for rectal cancer. Salvage lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLD) is potentially curative, but the value of laparoscopic surgery in such cases is unknown. Our aim was to report the technical details of laparoscopic salvage LPLD for LR at these nodes after rectal cancer surgery. Method The study was based on nine patients who underwent laparoscopic salvage LPLD for LR at the lateral pelvic lymph nodes after surgery for rectal cancer. The safety and feasibility of this procedure were determined. Results The median operation time was 381 min and the median estimated blood loss was 130 ml. There were no conversions. Adjacent structures removed en bloc were the pelvic plexus in four patients, the internal iliac artery in seven patients and the seminal vesicle in one patient. The median number of metastatic lymph nodes was 1 (range 1-11). Conclusion Our novel technique of laparoscopic salvage LPLD for LR at the lateral pelvic lymph nodes is safe and feasible.