A Comparison of Open and Laparoscopic-assisted Colectomy for Obstructive Colon Cancer

We performed a retrospective multi-center cohort analysis to compare the outcomes of laparoscopic surgery vs. open surgery for obstructive colon cancer.

A total of 455 patients with colon cancer with ileus underwent surgery at Yokohama City University Hospital and four related institutions from April 2000 to March 2016.

There were 414 cases in the open surgery group and 41 cases in the laparoscopic surgery group with no marked differences in the gender or age. The postoperative complication rate, according to the Clavien-Dindo classification, was lower in the laparoscopic group compared to the open surgery group. The postoperative hospital stay was 16 days in the open surgery group and 9 days in the laparoscopic surgery group (p=0.004). Among the various factors examined, the operation approach was identified as a statistically significant independent risk factor for postoperative complications (p=0.015).

Preoperative treatment for colon cancer with ileus and elective laparoscopic surgery are thought to be useful for achieving curative treatment, avoiding colostomy, and shortening the length of hospital stay.