[Advances in laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer]

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer must follow the same basic principles as open surgery. However, the special approach used for laparoscopic surgery differs essentially from the one used for conventional open surgery. Within the narrow working space permitted by laparoscopy, precluding an understanding of the entire picture, it is most important to secure an adequate field of vision. Lymph-node dissection performed with a forceps providing no sense of touch requires extreme caution and a bloodless procedure. Recently, remarkable progress has been made in devices designed to overcome the shortcomings of laparoscopic surgery. We present the current status and problems of laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer and discuss future developments.