title: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery modifies risk factors for postoperative morbidity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate whether laparoscopic colorectal surgery can modify the risk factors for the occurrence of postoperative morbidity.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 384 consecutive patients with colorectal disease were randomized to laparoscopic resection (n = 190) or open resection (n = 194). On admission, demographics, comorbidity, and nutritional status were recorded. Operative variables, patient outcome, and length of stay were also recorded. Postoperative complications were registered by four members of staff not involved in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall morbidity rate was 27.1 percent, with the rate in the laparoscopic group (18.7 percent) being less than that in the open group (31.5 percent; P = 0.003). Patients who underwent laparoscopic resection had a faster recovery of bowel function (P = 0.0001) and a shorter length of stay (P = 0.0001). In the whole cohort of patients, multivariate analysis identified open surgery (P = 0.003), duration of surgery (P = 0.01), and homologous blood transfusion (P = 0.01) as risk factors for postoperative morbidity. In the open group, blood loss (P = 0.01), homologous blood transfusion (P = 0.01), duration of surgery (P = 0.009), weight loss (P = 0.06), and age (P = 0.08) were related to postoperative morbidity. In the laparoscopic group the only risk factor identified was duration of surgery (P = 0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the laparoscopic group, both postoperative morbidity and length of stay were significantly reduced and most risk factors for postoperative morbidity disappeared.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vignali
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zuliani
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frasson
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Radaelli
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D003672:Defecation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D015431:Weight Loss