Introduction: There is a death of evidence whether there is a difference in wound complication rate depending upon the extraction site for patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy. We evaluate differences in wound related complications including infection and hernia depending upon the site used for specimen extraction after laparoscopic colectomy. Methods: Retrospective analysis of data of all consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy from January 2004 to December 2007. Patients with previous incisional hernias, cases converted to open and requiring reoperation within 30 days were excluded. Conversion to open was defined as an incision length greater than 8cm. A likelihood ratio regression model was used to assess the independent association of variables with wound infection and incisional hernia. Preoperative variables included demographics, comorbidity, body mass index, diagnosis, steroid use and prior abdominal incision. Perioperative factors included specimen extraction-site (transverse, Pfannenstiel, and midline), incision length, operation type and duration, estimated blood loss, stoma formation, wound classification and use of wound protector or hand-access laparoscopy (HAL) port. P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 598 patients undergoing laparoscopic colectomy were evaluated, 326 (54%) female and median age 54 (10-93) years. Extraction site location was midline in 339 (57%), Pfannenstiel in 185 (31%) and transverse in 74 (12%) patients. The median incision length was 5 (3-8) cm. Overall wound infection and incisional hernia rates were 11.2% and 5.5%, respectively, with a median follow-up of 12.1 (1.2-58.4) months. There was no significant differences in wound infection rates among the extraction sites, however incisional hernia rates for midline, transverse and Pfannenstiel incisions were 8.2% (28/339), 2.7% (2/74) and 1.6% (3/185), respectively (P<0.01). Obesity (P=0.02) was the only independent risk factor associated with wound infection. The extraction-site location (P=0.3), use of wound protector (P=0.4) or HAL port (P=0.7) were not associated with wound infection. Risk factors independently associated with incisional hernia were obesity (P<0.01), midline extraction site (P=0.04), and postoperative wound infection (P=0.01). Conclusion: During laparoscopic colectomy, different extraction sites may be associated with differing complications. While different extraction site locations have similar rates of wound infection, midline incisions are associated with an increased rate of incisional hernia.