Simultaneous laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy and right hemicolectomy for synchronous advanced gastric and colon cancer.

PURPOSE: Concurrent laparoscopic surgery for the synchronous gastric and colon cancer in one patient is not only a rare procedure, but also has some demerits such as longer operation time, more blood loss, and the use of additional laparoscopic ports. Moreover, laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with extraperigastric lymph node dissection is still controversial in the case of advanced gastric cancer.

METHODS: We report the successful laparoscopic surgery of a 78-year-old patient with synchronous advanced gastric and right colon cancers. The laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy with extraperigastric lymph node dissection followed by right hemicolectomy through 7 ports was carried out.

CONCLUSIONS: All procedures were successfully performed without complications and the patient has had no evidence of recurrence for 33 months after the operation. Synchronous neoplasms that are distantly located from one another could be treated using minimally invasive technique, which may sufficiently relieve patients' postoperative distress in selected cases.