title: Short- and midterm outcomes of laparoscopic surgery compared for 131 patients with rectal and rectosigmoid cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aimed to clarify and compare the short- and midterm surgical outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for rectal and rectosigmoid cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between June 1992 and December 2004, 131 selected patients with cancer of the rectum (n = 60) and rectosigmoid (n = 71) underwent laparoscopic surgery. The indications for laparoscopy included a preoperative diagnosis of T1/T2 tumor in the rectum and T1-T3 tumors in the rectosigmoid.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow-up period was 42 months. The procedures included anterior resection for 117 patients, abdominoperineal resection for 11 patients, Hartmann's procedure for 1 patient, and restorative proctocolectomy for 1 patient. Conversion to an open procedure occurred for four patients (3.1%). Postoperative complications developed in 29 patients (22.1%), including anastomotic leakage in 14 patients (11.8%). The length of hospital stay for the rectal cases was significantly longer than for the rectosigmoid cases (10 vs 7 days; p = 0.0049). The tumor node metastasis (TNM) stages included 0 (n = 14), I (n = 72), II (n = 15), III (n = 29), and IV (n = 1). Recurrences were experienced by 13 patients, including local recurrence (n = 7) and recurrences involving the liver ((n = 2), lung (n = 3), and distant lymph nodes (n = 1). The 5-year disease-free and overall survival rates were, respectively 91.7% and 97.9% for stage I, 86.7% and 90.9% for stage II, and 77.1% and 90.0% for stage III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic surgery is feasible and safe for selected patients with rectal or rectosigmoid cancer. The selected patients in this study experienced favorable short- and midterm outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Keio University, Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan. hasegawa@sc.itc.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishibori
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kitajima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012811:Sigmoid Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome