Computed tomography in quality control of surgery for right colon cancer

AIM: to assess the length of the stump of the feeding arteries of the right colon, their anatomical location relative to the superior mesenteric vein (SMV), the level of ligation of the main arteries after right hemicolectomy with D2- and D3-lymphadenectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: the retrospective study included 82 patients with a histologically confirmed right colon cancer aged 44-88 (mean 68) years. All patients underwent right hemicolectomy. In 40 cases, D2 lymph node dissection was performed, in 42 cases — in D3. Preoperatively, all patients were assessed for the location of the ileocolic and right colon arteries relative to the SMV and the expected length of their stumps was measured by CT. Postoperatively, the actual length of the stumps was assessed. RESULTS: CT images of the ileocolic artery stump were obtained in 76 (92.6%) of 82 patients. In 6 patients, a metal clips were installed along the contour of the superior mesenteric artery; in such cases, a clear CT image of the stump of the ileocolic artery was not obtained, and the length of the stump was assessed as 0 mm. The stump of the right colic artery was determined in all patients in whom the artery was identified preoperatively. The ventral location of the ileocolic artery relative to the SMV according to CT data was identified in 38 (46.3 %) of 82 patients, the dorsal location — in 44 (53.7 %) of 82 patients. With the ventral location of the ileocolic artery relative to the SMV in patients with D2, the length of the artery was 14.3 (8-25.6) mm, with D3 — 7.6 (3.3–11.1) mm (p = 0.005). With the dorsal location of the ileocolic artery relative to the SMV in patients with D2, the length of the artery was 8.8 (4.9–16.2) mm, with D3 — 3.9 (1–6.9) mm (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: the actual length of the stump of the feeding artery can become an indicator of the level of ligation of the main arteries and, indirectly, the extent of lymphadenectomy after right hemicolectomy. Further studies with a larger number of cases are needed to confirm the hypothesis for measuring the length of the stump of the feeding arteries as a marker of the extent of the procedure performed.