Prospective analysis of 40 initial laparoscopic colorectal resections: a plea for a randomized trial

The experience reported herein is on our initial 40 cases of laparoscopic-assisted (LA) colorectal resection that were prospectively evaluated. The operations were performed for colonic tumors of the right segment (n = 4), sigmoid (n = 11), or rectum (n = 7), diverticular disease (n = 17), and chronic constipation (n = 1). Among 22 tumors, 11 were malignant. The operative procedures were 4 right hemicolectomies, 28 segmental left colectomies, 5 anterior resections, 2 abdominoperineal resections, and 1 total colectomy. Thirty-one patients (77.5%) had a successfully completed LA resection. The reasons for conversion in the majority of the cases (66.6%) were difficulties in dissection. In the entirely LA procedures, the mean flatus postoperative day was 3, the mean postoperative hospitalization was 10.7 days, and there were 8 complications (25%) in 7 patients. Two patients were reoperated 2 and 3 months later for adhesion and ischemic stenosis of the colon above the anastomosis. There was 1 death in the LA group (3.2%). The length of operative specimen was 19.6 cm, and the mean number of resected lymph node was six. In contrast to laparoscopic biliary surgery, the benefits of LA colorectal surgery are not obvious. A randomized trial comparing LA and open colorectal resection must be carried out.