Laparoscopy-assisted surgery for colorectal neoplasm is justifiable regardless of advanced age

Laparoscopy-assisted surgery has been applied in patients with colorectal disease and resulted in favorable outcome compared with open surgery. However, it is not reported exclusively in terms of the curative mean in the geriatric patients with colorectal neoplasm yet. The aim of this study was to confirm the pros and cons of laparoscopy-assisted surgery for colorectal neoplasm in geriatric patients.

Seventy-four patients with colorectal neoplasm underwent laparoscopic surgery and all their charts were retrospectively reviewed. Fourteen patients were 75 years of age or older and compared with the remaining non-aged 60 patients in STUDY 1, and also compared with 46 aged patients who underwent open surgery in STUDY 2.

In STUDY 1, the compiled total frequency of preoperative concomitant disease was significantly higher in the LAS-aged group. In STUDY 2, the mean operative time of the laparoscopic group was significantly longer than that of the open group. Mean estimated blood loss of the laparoscopic group was significantly smaller than that in the open group. Postoperative oral resumption and duration of hospital stay tended to be shorter in the laparoscopic group than in the open group.

Laparoscopy-assisted surgery is a satisfactory treatment for colorectal neoplasm, even in geriatric patients.