title: Analysis of risk factors for complications in 262 cases of laparoscopic colectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the study was to critically review the experience of our unit to identify all the risk factors that can predict the intra-operative and post-operative complications, early and late, that are related to the procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively reviewed 293 patients who had undergone laparoscopic colectomy at the General Surgery and Organ Transplantation Unit of the University Hospital of Parma between January 2001 and September 2009. Preoperative tumour staging was performed for all patients by pancolonoscopic examination, performed preferably by the operating surgeon, thoracic-abdominal-pelvic CT, and, for rectal neoplasia, with further input from endoscopic ultrasound and/or pelvic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. The parameters evaluated for each patient included age, sex, body mass index (BMI), ASA score, preoperative blood tests, associated comorbidities, cancer, others surgical procedures, operative time, laparotomy conversion rate, intra- and post-operative complications, any returns to the operating theatre, length of hospital stay and mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 293 laparoscopic colectomy procedures were performed in our unit between January 2001 and September 2009; we analysed 262 of the 293 cases treated, since the data were incomplete and not correctly stored for 31 cases. The overall rate of intra- and post-operative complications was 22.9% (60/262). In 40 cases (40/262, 15.26%), the complications were surgical, and in the other 20 cases (7.63%) they were medical; mortality rate of 0.38% (1/262).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rectal resection is significantly associated with a greater number of intra- and post-operative complications than the other surgical procedures examined. The laparoscopic approach maintains its benefits even in patients with known preoperative comorbidities and constitutes a feasible procedure even in patients who are obese and/or with ASA status > or = III.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital of Parma, Department of Surgical Science, Unit of General Surgery and Organ Transplantation, Parma. paolo.delrio@unipr.it
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Del Rio
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dell'Abate
authors.forename: Benedict
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gomes
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fumagalli
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Papadia
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Coruzzi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Leonardi
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pucci
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sianesi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003082:Colectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors