title: Outcomes of elective laparoscopic colorectal operations in octogenarians at a district general hospital in South East England.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection in the octogenarian population at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis of registry data accumulated prospectively were used in conjunction with the data obtained from patient notes to identify outcome data for octogenarians who had undergone elective laparoscopic colorectal cancer resection.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Laparoscopic colorectal cancer resections were performed in 68 octogenarians between 2003 and 2011 at our institution. Four operations (6%) were converted to an open technique. There were twelve cases of morbidity (18%) and two cases of mortality (3%). The overall median hospital stay was 8 d. The median time for a patient to be deemed surgically fit for discharge was 5 d reflecting a delay in provision of social care or stoma education.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results support the view that laparoscopic surgery in octogenarians is safe, feasible and with a reduced length of stay. This is well reflected in our results which are compatible with United Kingdom national figures.
authors.affiliation: Roland Fernandes, Irshad Shaikh, Samer Doughan, Deparment of Colorectal Surgery, Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother Hospital, Margate CT9 4AN, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Irshad
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doughan
keywords: Colorectal disease; Laparoscopic surgery; Morbidity; Mortality; Octogenarian