title: Early rehabilitation versus conventional care after laparoscopic rectal surgery: a prospective, randomized, controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although early rehabilitation programs have been reported to be effective after laparoscopic colectomy, there is no report of the efficacy of rehabilitation programs after rectal cancer surgery. This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of an early rehabilitation program after laparoscopic low anterior resection for mid or low rectal cancer in a randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-eight patients who had undergone a laparoscopic low anterior resection with defunctioning ileostomy were randomized on a 1:1 basis to an early rehabilitation program (n = 52) or conventional care (n = 46). The primary endpoint was recovery rate at 4 days postoperatively. The secondary endpoints were recovery time, postoperative hospital stay, complications, readmission rates, pain on a visual analogue scale, and quality of life (QOL) according to Short Form 36.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The recovery rates were not different in both groups (rehabilitation, 25 % vs. conventional, 13 %, p = 0.135). Recovery time and postoperative hospital stay was similar between the groups (rehabilitation, 137 h [107-188] vs. conventional, 146.5 h [115-183], p = 0.47; 7.5 days [7-11] vs. 8.0 days [7-10], p = 0.882). The complication rates did not differ between the two groups, but more complications were noted in the rehabilitation program group (42.3 vs. 24.0 %, p = 0.054), which was related to postoperative ileus (28.8 vs. 13.0 %, p = 0.057) and acute voiding difficulty (19.6 vs. 4.7 %, p = 0.032). There was no readmission within 1 month of surgery. Pain and QOL were similar in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This randomized trial did not show that an early rehabilitation program is beneficial after laparoscopic low anterior resection. Our results confirm that postoperative ileus and acute voiding difficulty are major obstacles to fast-track surgery for mid or low rectal cancer. This study was registered (registration number NCT00606944).
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 300 Gumi-dong, Bundang, Seongnam, 463-707, South Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung-Bum
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Je-Ho
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jun-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Samin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.forename: Taek-Gu
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Soyeon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ahn
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000700:Analgesics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016063:Blood Loss, Surgical; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D005334:Fever / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D045823:Ileus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D014555:Urination Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016138:Walking; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics