Laparoscopic surgery for colon and rectal cancer

Laparoscopic techniques are now being applied to increasing numbers of general surgical procedures. Technical feasibility, margins, number of lymph nodes, and recurrence rates need to be assessed with the application of this new technique to colon or rectal malignancies. Technically, the right colon, sigmoid, and proximal rectum appear to be the most amenable to laparoscopic assisted or complete laparoscopic resection. Early results from a registry of laparoscopic assisted colectomies shows that there is no significant difference in the number of lymph nodes in the lymphovascular bundle compared to conventional colon resections. Early retrospective reports indicate that there may be a significant decrease in post op length of stay. We conclude that the technique of laparoscopic assisted colectomy for colon or rectal cancer needs to follow the same oncologic principles as that of conventional surgery, and ultimately a trial will be needed to compare conventional and laparoscopic cancer resections of the large bowel.