In this article, the authors present an up-to-date review of our experience and that of the medical literature encompassing all important aspects of port site metastases after laparoscopic surgery for malignancy and to search for potential risks with contribution to early occurrence of port site metastases after laparoscopic surgery. We used a Medline computer database search to conduct for pertinent articles through September 1996. Cross-referencing identified additional publications. We found that the majority of recurrences were in patients with adenocarcinoma cell type, advanced stage (far-advanced disease), and often with diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis, suggesting that port site metastases may contribute to the highly aggressive nature of the disease. Risk factors that contributed to early occurrence of port site metastases were ovarian cancers, presence of ascites, and diagnostic or palliative procedures for malignancy (P < 0.0001, P = 0.008, and P < 0.001, respectively). Practitioners should exercise extreme caution when using laparoscopic techniques to manage the care of these patients.
Copyright 1999 Academic Press.