Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in patients with prior abdominal surgery

We retrospectively investigated the impact of prior abdominal surgery on the outcome of laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Among 607 colorectal cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery, 192 patients had previously undergone abdominal surgery (S group) and 415 had not (non-S group).

The percentage of female patients was higher in the S group than in the non-S group. The incidence of conversion to open surgery was higher in the S group (5.2%, 10/192) than in the non-S group (2.6%, 11/415), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.108). Although the mean operating time and estimated blood loss were similar in the two groups, right and transverse colectomy after prior gastrectomy and ipsilateral colectomy after prior colectomy took longer and were associated with greater blood loss. The morbidity rates of the two groups were similar (S group: 15.6%, 30/192; non-S group: 14.5%, 60/415). There were 5 intraoperative small-bowel injuries or postoperative small-bowel perforations in the S group, especially in the patients with prior gastrointestinal-tract surgery.

Our findings suggest that there is no reason to avoid laparoscopic procedures in most patients with prior abdominal surgery despite a higher conversion rate, but caution is warranted in patients who have undergone major gastrointestinal-tract surgery.