Advantages of the Pfannenstiel Incision in Laparoscopic and Robotic‐Assisted Surgery for colon cancer: A Propensity‐Score‐Matched Analysis

AIM: This study aimed to investigate the short-term surgical outcomes of the Pfannenstiel incision, which is being increasingly used with the expansion of robotic surgery, compared with those of the conventional umbilical incision in colon cancer surgery. METHODS: Postoperative outcomes were assessed in 103 patients who underwent laparoscopic or robotic colon cancer surgery with intracorporeal anastomosis at our hospital between May 2022 and May 2024. The data were retrospectively analyzed. The Pfannenstiel incision was performed in 73 patients (P group), and the umbilical incision was performed in 30 patients (U group). A 1:1 propensity-score-matched analysis was performed (matching criteria: sex, age, tumor location, and tumor size) using a caliper width of 0.3. We used the visual analog scale (VAS) on postoperative days (PODs) 0, 1, 2, and 5 and the postoperative frequency of analgesics to assess pain. RESULTS: The matched cohort comprised 24 patients in each group. The frequency of analgesic use (p < 0.01) and sequential VAS scores on PODs 1 and 2 (two-way ANOVA: p < 0.05) were significantly lower in the P group than in the U group. No significant differences were observed in the incidence of incisional hernia. CONCLUSION: The Pfannenstiel incision may reduce postoperative pain.