Ambulatory laparoscopic colorectal surgery management paradigm with initial experience: a prospective randomized...

This study was designed to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and influencing factors of ambulatory surgery for colorectal cancer, providing evidence for its promotion and application.

Of 148 eligible patients were enrolled at Department and Institution (November 2023-December 2024) and were randomized 1:1 to Ambulatory Colorectal Surgery (ACS) underwent minimally invasive surgery and implementing a standardized 24-hour discharge protocol or Traditional Colorectal Surgery (TCS) with conventional inpatient care and same procedures by the same surgical and postoperative management team. Patients and surgeons were unblinded due to inherent intervention differences. The primary outcome was any 30-day morbidity including readmissions, reoperations, anastomotic leaks, ileus, and infections.

Patients were randomized to ACS group (n = 74) or TCS group(n = 74), with 65 ACS and 71 TCS patients completing final analysis. The primary outcome of 30-day morbidity occurred in 7.7% (5/65) of ACS patients versus 8.5% (6/71) of TCS patients (P = 0.87). ACS achieved significantly shorter hospitalization (17.8 vs 109.6 hours, P<0.001), with 96.9% (63/65) discharged within 24 hours. Severe complications (Clavien-Dindo III-IV) occurred in 20.0% (1/5) of ACS events versus 50.0% (3/6) in TCS (P = 0.62). Readmission rates were comparable (6.2% vs 5.6%, P = 0.89), primarily due to ileus, bleeding, and nausea. No mortality occurred in either group.

This first Randomized Clinical Trial of ambulatory colorectal surgery demonstrates preliminary feasibility and safety, with complication rates comparable to traditional hospitalization despite markedly shorter stays. Ongoing enrollment will further validate these findings and clarify influencing factors.