title: Laparoscopic or open surgery for the cancer of the middle and lower rectum short-term outcomes of a comparative non-randomised study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study compares the short-term results of the laparoscopic and open approach for the surgical treatment of rectal cancer. Consecutive cases with rectal cancer operated upon with laparoscopy from 2004 to 2007 were compared to open rectal cancer cases. Total mesorectal excision (TME) was attempted in all cases.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-two cases were included in the OPEN and 45 in the LAP group and were matched for age, gender, disease stage and operation type.
  
  
  METHODS
  Duration of surgery was longer and blood transfusion requirements were less in the LAP group. Higher blood loss was observed in patients with neoadjuvant treatment in both groups. Patients with neoadjuvant treatment in the OPEN group had higher operation time, but that was not the case in the LAP group. There were three conversions (7%).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall morbidity was higher in the OPEN group. LAP group patients were found to recover faster. R0 resection was achieved in 88% in the OPEN and 94% in the LAP group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less morbidity and faster recovery is offered after laparoscopic TME. Quality of surgery assessed by histopathology is similar between the approaches. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation seems to have significant impact on blood loss but results in longer operation times of the OPEN group.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Crete, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gouvas
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tsiaoussis
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pechlivanides
authors.forename: Nikolaos
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zervakis
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tzortzinis
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Avgerinos
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dervenis
authors.forename: Evaghelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Xynos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome