Laparoscopic-assisted resection of rectosigmoid carcinoma. Immediate and medium-term results.

Background: The technique of laparoscopic-assisted resection of colorectal carcinoma has been established. However, whether such a procedure is beneficial to patients is uncertain.
Objective: To review the immediate and medium-term results of laparoscopic-assisted resection in patients with rectosigmoid carcinoma.
Patients and Interventions: We attempted laparoscopic-assisted sigmoid colectomy or anterior resection in 50 patients with rectosigmoid carcinoma (ie, the study group). The results were compared with those of 50 matched patients who underwent conventional open resection in the immediate prelaparoscopic era (ie, the control group).
Results: The median follow-up times for the study and control groups were 32.8 and 39.1 months, respectively. The operating time was significantly longer (P < .001, Student t test), while the analgesic requirement was significantly less (P < .001, Mann-Whitney U test) and the duration of hospitalization was significantly shorter (P = .001, Mann-Whitney U test), in the study group than in the control group. The oncological clearance (ie, the number of lymph nodes removed and the distal resection margin), the complication rate, the disease-free rate, and the survival rate were comparable in the 2 groups.
Conclusion: The immediate and medium-term results of laparoscopic-assisted resection of rectosigmoid carcinoma are promising.