Influence of different treatment methods of Left Colic Artery on postoperative rehabilitation of patients undergoing Laparoscopic Radical Resection of Rectal Cancer

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of different treatment methods of the left colic artery (LCA) on postoperative rehabilitation of patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was performed on 70 patients undergoing laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer who were admitted to The Affiliated Suqian Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from January, 2020 to December, 2022 were selected and divided into two groups according to different treatment methods of LCA. The preservation group (LCA group) (n=34 cases) and the non-preservation group (NLCA group) (n=36 cases). Both groups were treated with laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer. IMA was preserved in the LCA group, but not in the NLCA group. The efficacy indicators, surgical treatment and rehabilitation-related indicators, gastrointestinal hormone indicators (motilin (MTL), gastrin (GAS)), and postoperative complications risk were compared between the two groups before and after surgery. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups in terms of efficacy indicators (total number of lymph nodes dissected and number of lymph nodes at the root of the IMA), operation time, intraoperative blood loss, and postoperative drainage tube placement time (p>0.05). However, postoperative anal flatus and hospital stay in the LCA group were considerably shorter than those in the NLCA group (p<0.05). Postoperatively, the levels of MTL and GAS in the two groups were significantly decreased, and the LCA group decreased slightly compared with the NLCA group (p<0.05). Moreover, the incidence of complications in the LCA group (5.88%) was significantly lower than that in the NLCA group (27.78%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Preservation of LCA and no-preservation of LCA in laparoscopic radical resection of rectal cancer are comparable in terms of therapeutic effect, and the surgery with preservation of LCA is worthy of clinical promotion due to its various benefits such as less impact on gastrointestinal hormone indicators, lower risk of complications, and faster postoperative recovery.