Colectomy: the role of laparoscopy

Laparoscopically assisted colonic surgery was performed in 23 patients in the last 12 months. In all cases, after an initial diagnostic laparoscopy, the colon was mobilized laparoscopically. The mesenteric and bowel division was performed extracorporeally, as was the anastomosis. No deaths occurred. There was a 13% complication rate; one patient suffered a late (10 days) anastomotic dehiscence at home, and two patients had postoperative upper respiratory chest infections. The mean number of lymph nodes excised for malignant cases was 12, and the total mean postoperative hospital stay was 7 days. The laparoscopic dissection required 40% of the operating time. Although this is our initial experience, we conclude that laparoscopically assisted bowel surgery replaces one operation with two, is more costly, requires a longer-lasting anaesthetic, and in our hands appears to offer little additional benefit to the patient compared with conventional surgery.