Restorative proctocolectomy with an ileoanal pouch: the role of laparoscopy

The Aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate early experience with laparoscopic restorative proctocolectomy by analyzing the perioperative results of surgical treatment.

Seven major surgeries were performed in six patients with familial adenomatous polyposis and ulcerative colitis. All procedures were performed under laparoscopy at our third-level hospital from June 2003 to October 2004.

Mean surgical time was 287.5 +/- 80.7 min, and median blood loss was 300 +/- 249.0 cc. There were no conversions; return of peristalsis began at 32 +/- 12.4 h; average time to first oral intake was 64.0 +/- 32.8 h, and mean duration of hospital stay was 9.3 +/- 1.2 days. There was one case of perineal sepsis due to ileal pouch-anal anastomotic leakage, which was successfully treated with oral intake restriction, parenteral nutrition, and intra-rectal drainage. The most common postoperative complication was postoperative ileus.

We believe that the laparoscopic approach to restorative proctocolectomy may be considerably improved in our center. Particular aspects for improvement include efforts to achieve lower operating and hospitalization times to equate our results with those reported by multicenter studies for laparoscopic colon cancer surgery. In our opinion, learning and further training opportunities should be encouraged to improve surgeon experience in the field of laparoscopy, preferably at centers specializing in restorative proctocolectomy.