Open or laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer: a retrospective comparative study

Laparoscopic surgery for colorectal cancer has been used with success since 1991. During the last decade, many studies have compared laparoscopic surgery with open colectomy. The aim of this retrospective study was to present the advantages and disadvantages of laparoscopic and open colectomy for cancer, focusing on the postoperative care of patients. Eighty-eight consecutive patients suffering from cancer of the colon and rectum, surgically treated, were studied. They were divided into 2 groups: Group A patients (n = 48) underwent laparoscopic colectomy, and Group B patients (n = 40) were treated with an open procedure. For postoperative care of the patients, analgesia, median hospital stay, overall cost, and complications between the 2 groups were studied and statistically compared. Laparoscopic colectomy was associated with a shorter average hospital stay, fewer complications, earlier start of a normal diet, and better control of postoperative pain. Nonetheless, the cost of surgical instruments used in laparoscopic operation is higher. Laparoscopic surgery, despite its higher cost, seems to add significant advantages in the postoperative recovery of patients suffering from colorectal cancer.