Not Yet Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT07655856

Inferior Mesenteric Artery First Combined With Complete Medial Approach for Laparoscopic Splenic Flexure Mobilization in Left Sided Colorectal Cancer

The aim of the study to compare surgical outcomes between inferior mesenteric artery first with complete medial approach and other traditional techniques in laparoscopic left sided colorectal cancer .

Not Yet Recruiting

Trial opening soon.

Get Notified

Key information

Conditions

Laparoscopic Splenic Flexure Mobilization

Age range

18 year–70 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

Laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection is primarily employed for the treatment of tumors located in distal transverse colon , splenic flexure of colon, descending colon, and proximal segment of the sigmoid colon. Numerous factors impact the difficulty of surgery, with research suggesting that mobilization of the splenic flexure independently predicts longer operative times in laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection . Splenic flexure mobilization is independently associated with an increased risk of splenic injury, which contributes to elevated short-term and long-term mortality risks in patients. The crucial aspect of radical surgery is complete mesocolic excision (CME) with central vascular ligation and the Japanese D3 lymphadenectomy. For tumors located in descending colon and sigmoid-descending junction, the lymph node dissection range includes the central lymph node group (No.253) at the root of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) . In cases of cancer in the left half of the transverse colon or in the splenic flexure of colon, in addition to IMA root lymph node dissection, it is imperative to perform dissection of lymph nodes (No.223) at the root of the middle colic artery (MCA).Therefore, for laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection, ensuring the safety of splenic flexure mobilization and maintaining the quality of lymph nodes dissection are both crucial.

Currently, traditional surgical approaches for laparoscopic left-sided colon cancer radical resection include the medial approach, lateral approach, anterior approach, and various combinations of these methods. Due to variations in anatomical understanding, many teams propose the combined application of multiple approaches, each demonstrating a certain level of safety and feasibility.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Patients aged 18-70 years old with confirmed colorectal cancer diagnosis by histopathology with obligatory splenic flexure mobilization and had laparoscopic surgery with curative intent were included.

Exclusion criteria

Those younger than 18 years or older than 70 years.
Those undergoing non-cancer resections, or completion surgery or palliative procedures.
Those with locally advanced ( extra colonic extension ) or metastatic tumors.
Those with advanced comorbidities ( laparoscopy is contraindicated )

Treatment and study plan

laparscopic splenic flexure mobilization

Procedure

The patient was positioned in the modified lithotomy position with the main surgeon standing in between the abducted legs. The patient's head is lowered by 15° (Trendelenburg position), and table was 20° right-tilted. The position was adjusted at the time of splenic flexure mobilization to head elevation by 20° to let the small bowel go down toward the pelvis.

Five ports were introduced [Figure 1]: a 10-mm port in the midline 4 cm above the umbilicus to increase the field of view, a second 5 mm port in the right midclavicular line just below the umbilicus, a third 10-12-mm port at the right midclavicular line in the right iliac fossa, a fourth 5-mm port in the left midclavicular line 2 cm above the level of the umbilicus, and a last 5-mm port in the midline 4 cm above the pubic bone.

Port sites for laparoscopic left colectomy. The tumor was localized by either visual inspection or intraoperative colonoscopy. The summit of sigmoid colon was then pulled anteriorly with a grasper toward

Primary outcomes

evaluation of safety and effectiveness of inferior mesenteric artery first in combination with complete medial approach in splenic mobilization in left sided colorectal cancer .

Time frame: 6 month

number of harvested lymph nodes

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

momen shalkamy abdelgwad, phd

CONTACT

[email protected]

01017520093

omar mohamed doctor, master

CONTACT

[email protected]

+0201025104556

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Assiut University

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2029
Study completion: 2029
First posted: Jun 18, 2026
Registry last updated: Jun 18, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.