Early results of laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer

To study the immediate and early postoperative results obtained in patients subjected to laparoscopic resection of colorectal cancer.

A prospective, observational cohort study was initiated in January 1993, involving 50 patients subjected to laparoscopic resection for colorectal adenocarcinoma (rectal amputation in 10 cases, lower rectal resection in 13, recto-sigmoidectomy in 18, and miscellaneous colectomies in 9 cases). Seventy-percent of the tumors were in IUCC stages II and III. Mean follow-up was 21 months.

Conversion to open surgery was required in 18 cases (36%). Intraoperative problems were limited to a single urethral lesion, while postoperative complications were recorded in 11 patients (22%), and were managed conservatively: a urinary fistula secondary to the aforementioned urethral lesion; subclinical dehiscence of the anastomosis (2 cases); phlebitis (1 case); infection of the surgical wound (4 cases), and urinary and pulmonary infection (1 case each). There were no differences between converted surgery (i.e., conventional laparotomy) and those operations completed endoscopically (with a final assisted or combined minilaparotomy) in terms of the length of the surgical resection piece, the length of the distal margin of the specimen or the number of lymph nodes. Global hospital stay ranged from 9-12 days, versus 5-7 in the group without complications. Global survival is 78% at 42 months, with a disease-free interval of 53% at this time.

Laparoscopic colorectal resection presents an incidence of intra- and postoperative complications characteristic of major surgery, with no differences in surgical specimen size with respect to those operations converted to laparotomy. Global survival is similar to that reported in the literature for open surgery.