Fig. 1

A Segmental colectomy with D3 lymph node dissection. B Right hemicolectomy with D3 lymph node dissection. C Segmental colectomy with extensive D3 lymph node dissection. Compared with operation A, an extensive apical lymph node dissection along the superior mesenteric vessels and its main branches is performed in operation C, while compared with operation B, the main vessels of the right-sided colon, ileocecal junction, and part of the ascending colon are preserved in operation C (if a RCA is too small, ligation is recommended). Anatomical pictures are from the Atlas of Human Anatomy [2]