Comparative study between laparoscopic and open surgery in oncologic, short -term clinical outcomes and complications for rectal cancer

Abstract EN

Objective : To compare the short-term operative and oncologic outcomes of laparoscopic surgery with those of open surgery in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods : Medical records of 80 patients (37 laparoscopic and 43 open surgery) treated between 2011 and 2013 were reviewed.

Patients younger than 18 years or harboring major medical comorbidities were excluded.

Baseline clinical characteristics, operative and postoperative events, details of pathological specimens and follow-up information such as cancer recurrence or death were reviewed.

Results : All clinical characteristics did not differ significantly between the two groups.

Proximal and distal margins of surgical specimens as well as the totalnumber of lymph nodes removed (median number 13.3 for laparoscopic versus 12.4 for open surgery) were also similar.

There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, and after a median follow- up time of 6 months and 8 months for the laparoscopic and open procedures respectively, no significant differences in the recurrence rates were seen.

There were no operative or cancer-related deaths.

Conclusions : There was no evidence that operative and early oncologic outcomes differ between laparoscopic and open surgery for rectal cancer.