Safety and efficacy of laparoscopic transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal resection for benign retroperitoneal tumors: a retrospective cohort study

Background and objective Benign retroperitoneal tumors (BRTs) are clinically rare solid tumors. This study aimed to compare the safety and efficacy of laparoscopic transperitoneal versus retroperitoneal resection for BRTs. Methods The clinical data of 43 patients who had pathologically confirmed BRTs and underwent laparoscopic resection in a single center from January 2019 to May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into two groups according to the surgical methods: the Transperitoneal approach group ( n = 24) and the Retroperitoneal approach group ( n = 19). The clinical characteristics and perioperative data between the two groups were compared. The baseline data and surgical variables were analyzed to determine the impact of different surgical approaches on the treatment outcomes of BRTs. Results No significant difference was observed between the two groups in gender, age, body mass index, the American Society of Anesthesiologists score, presence of underlying diseases, tumor size, tumor position, operation duration, intraoperative hemorrhage, postoperative hospital stay, intestinal function recovery time, and postoperative complication rate. The conversion rate from laparoscopic to open surgery was significantly lower in the Transperitoneal approach group than in the Retroperitoneal approach group (1/24 vs. 5/19, χ 2 = 4.333, P = 0.037). Tumor size was an independent influencing factor for the effect of surgery (odds ratio = 1.869, 95% confidence interval = 1.135–3.078, P = 0.014) and had a larger efficacy on the retroperitoneal group (odds ratio = 3.740, 95% confidence interval = 1.044–13.394, P = 0.043). Conclusion The laparoscopic transperitoneal approach has the inherent advantages of anatomical hierarchies and surgical space, providing a better optical perspective of the targeted mass and improved bleeding control. This approach may have better efficacy than the retroperitoneal approach, especially in cases of a large tumor or when the tumor is located near important blood vessels.