Survival Following Oncological Minimally Invasive Colorectal Procedures

Summary: Background: Since 1992, oncological minimally invasive colorectal procedures are routinely performed at our institution. The aim of this study was to evaluate postoperative survival. Methods: A retrospective analysis assessing postoperative survival following oncological minimally invasive colorectal procedures conducted from March 1992 to September 1998 is presented. Mean postoperative follow-up for all patients was 5.5 years. Results: Minimally invasive colorectal procedures were conducted in 105 patients for treatment of carcinoma of caecum (n = 8); ascending (n = 21), transverse (n = 4), descending (n = 7) and sigmoid colon carcinoma (n = 30); and rectal carcinoma (n = 35). The procedures conducted were ileocaecal resection (n = 3), right hemicolectomy (n = 26), resection of transverse colon (n = 4), left hemicolectomy (n = 4), resection of descending colon (n = 3), sigmoid resection (n = 30), rectal resection (n = 26), amputation of the rectum (n = 8), and sigmoidostomy (n = 1). Postoperative mortality was 1.0 % (n = 1). Following 90 curative colorectal resections, local recurrence developed in five patients (5.6 %) and two trocar-site metastases were observed (2.2 %). Mean 5-year survival for stages I-III was 68 % for curative colorectal resections (87 %, 91 % and 28 % for stages I, II and III, respectively, n = 83; 44 % vs. 20 % for IIIA vs. IIIB, n = 29). Seven patients (8 %) died from tumour-unrelated causes. Mean survival following palliative resections was 10.5 months (n = 15). Conclusions: Up to now, in our experience, postoperative survival following minimally invasive colorectal resections is comparable to that following ‘open’ surgery. Additional trials are required in order to compare long-term outcomes.