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Introduction The optimal length of ileal resection during right-sided bowel cancer surgery remains unclear. Excessive resection may impair postoperative function, while shorter resections may raise concerns regarding oncological adequacy.Methods A PRISMA-guided mini-systematic review was conducted. PubMed/Medline, Embase, Scopus and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to 20 December 2025. Studies reporting oncological or functional outcomes in relation to ileal resection length in patients undergoing right hemicolectomy, right colectomy, extended right colectomy or ileocaecal resection for bowel cancer were included. Screening, data extraction and quality assessment were performed independently by two reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Due to heterogeneity in study design and outcome reporting, data were synthesised descriptively without quantitative meta-analysis.Results Three studies comprising 463 patients met inclusion criteria. Two retrospective studies assessed oncological outcomes and demonstrated no significant differences in overall survival or disease-free survival between shorter and longer ileal resection groups. Five-year overall survival was 81.4% versus 67.5% (p=0.185) in one study and 84.1% versus 75.9% (p=0.79) in another. Disease-free survival similarly did not differ significantly (83.8% vs 78.3%, p=0.41). One prospective study evaluated functional outcomes and demonstrated a significant association between increasing ileal resection length and worse postoperative quality of life (GIQLI, β=0.04, p=0.04). Resection lengths ≥20 cm were associated with a significant reduction in serum vitamin B12 levels by 6 months postoperatively (p<0.001), whereas shorter resections were associated with stable or rising B12 levels. All included studies demonstrated moderate to high risk of bias.Conclusions Current evidence suggests that shorter ileal resections do not compromise oncological outcomes, while longer resections may adversely affect postoperative quality of life and vitamin B12 absorption. However, the available evidence is limited and based on studies with moderate to high risk of bias. Larger, well-designed prospective studies are required to define evidence-based thresholds for ileal resection length.