Short Term Outcomes of Open and Minimally Invasive Approaches to Segmental Colectomy for Benign Colovesical Fistula

We speculated that a minimally invasive (MIS) colectomy for colovesical fistula is associated with less morbidity compared to an open colectomy.

Multivariate analysis using logistic regression was used to investigate the outcomes of patients who underwent colectomy for benign colovesical fistula during 2012-2017 by surgical approach using the NSQIP database.

We identified 748 patients underwent partial colectomy for benign colovesical fistula during 2012-2017. Surgeons used the MIS approach in 72.7% of operations, with a conversion rate of 13.1%. The MIS approach was associated with lower morbidity (27.4% vs. 43.1%, AOR: 0.46, P=0.02) compared to the open approach. The mean operation duration was longer in MIS operations compared to open (225 min vs. 201 min, P < 0.01). The robotic approach to colectomy showed no significant difference in morbidity (28.4% vs. 27.2%, P=0.77) but a decrease in conversion rate (8.1% vs. 13.8%, P < 0.01) and an increase in operation length (249 min vs. 222 min, mean difference: 27 min, P < 0.01) compared to a laparoscopic approach. There was no significant difference in the anastomotic leak rate between MIS and open approaches (3.7% vs. 5.4%, P=0.14) and between laparoscopic and robotic approaches (2.8% vs. 3.8%, P=0.99).

We found a 72.7% utilization rate of MIS approach to colectomy for benign colovesical fistula in the NSQIP hospitals with a 13.6% conversion rate. Patients with MIS approach had significantly lower morbidity compared to open. A robotic approach to partial colectomy has the same morbidity risk with a decreased conversion rate compared to laparoscopic approach.