Minilaparotomy approach for removal of a large colonic lipoma: report of two cases

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Vol. 34; no. 1; pp. 72 - 75
• Main Authors: Nakagoe, Tohru, Sawai, Terumitsu, Tsuji, Takashi, Tanaka, Kenji, Nanashima, Atsushi, Shibasaki, Shin-ichi, Yamaguchi, Hiroyuki, Yasutake, Toru
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan 2004
• Subjects: Colonic Neoplasms - diagnosis; Colonic Neoplasms - surgery; Female; Humans; Lipoma - diagnosis; Lipoma - surgery; Male; Middle Aged; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-003-2646-8

A minimally invasive surgical approach should be employed to resect symptomatic colonic lipomas whenever possible. We report two cases of large colonic lipomas that were successfully removed using a minimally invasive minilaparotomy approach. Patient 1 was a 53-year-old man with a 3.8-cm symptomatic submucosal lipoma in the ascending colon and patient 2 was a 57-year-old woman with a 4.2-cm symptomatic submucosal lipoma in the transverse colon. Both lipomas were successfully removed through a 5-7-cm minilaparotomy. Normal bowel function returned quickly without any postoperative complications. These case reports demonstrate that the minilaparotomy approach is a suitable alternative to conventional laparotomy to remove a large colonic lipoma.