Open versus laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer: single-center results of 587 cases

Abstract

Purpose: We aimed to compare the short-term and long-term results of laparoscopic and open rectal resections. Methods: A total of 587 rectal cancer patients were included. The main measures were demographic data, duration of surgery, early postoperative results, pathologic data, and long-term follow-up. Results: There were no significant differences in demographic data, morbidity rate, tumor location, and sphincter-preservation rates between the 2 groups. The duration of surgery (155 vs. 173 min, P < 0.001), time to gas passage, defecation, and solid food intake and length of hospital stay were significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group than the open group (P < 0.05). According to the univariate and multivariate analysis, laparoscopic surgery did not have an effect on local recurrence but had a favorable effect on survival rates. Conclusions: Laparoscopic rectal surgery has advantages over open surgery with respect to short-term and long-term clinical results and when performed in high-volume centers.