Short-term impact of the ‘Marginal Gains’ standardised workflow for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy with complete mesocolic excision (CME): a pre- and post-implementation study

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the implementation and clinical impact of a standardised workflow for laparoscopic right hemicolectomy (LRH) with complete mesocolon excision (CME) using a cranial approach in colon cancer, the so-called 'Marginal Gains' project. METHODS: This is a single-centre retrospective before-and-after cohort study of prospectively collected data. Outcomes of 29 patients undergoing LRH from 2022 to 2023 (control group) were compared with 34 patients treated between 2023 and 2024, after implementation of a structured CME-oriented workflow (intervention group). The primary outcome was the rate of workflow application and its clinical impact (secondary outcomes) in terms of CME rate (performed when clinically indicated), intraoperative events, 30-day postoperative complications, and lymph nodes harvested. RESULTS: = .021). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the standardised CME-oriented workflow was feasible and associated with lower short-term postoperative morbidity and higher lymph node harvest. Given the non-randomised before-and-after design and limited sample size, these findings should be considered exploratory and hypothesis-generating rather than evidence of definitive improvement in surgical or oncological outcomes. Prospective multicentre validation is warranted.