The impact of a pelvic pillow on learning how to perform laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the impact of the pelvic pillow on a single surgeon's learning how to perform laparoscopic low anterior resection (LAR) for rectal cancer.


METHODS
We compared the outcomes for 23 patients with rectal cancer including the first 11 patients who underwent laparoscopic LAR without the pelvic pillow, and the latter 12 patients with the pelvic pillow by a single surgeon.


RESULTS
The stage of the pelvic pillow (+) was more advanced than that of the pelvic pillow (-). The length of the operation and postoperative start of oral intake for the pelvic pillow (+) were shorter and earlier than those of the pelvic pillow (-). The pelvic surgical field in the pelvic pillow (+) was better and allowed better evaluation than the pelvic pillow (-).


CONCLUSIONS
Maintaining an excellent view of the pelvic surgical field with the pelvic pillow might have an impact on learning laparoscopic LAR.
Second Department of Surgery, Wakayama Medical University, School of Medicine, Wakayama, Japan.
Tsukasa
T
Hotta
Katsunari
K
Takifuji
Shozo
S
Yokoyama
Kenji
K
Matsuda
Yoshimasa
Y
Oku
Toru
T
Nasu
Koichi
K
Tamura
Junji
J
Ieda
Naoyuki
N
Yamamoto
Hiromitsu
H
Iwamoto
Hiroki
H
Yamaue
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D056888:Patient Positioning / Q000295:instrumentation*; D010388:Pelvis; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome