Short-term results of laparoscopic surgeries in rectal cancer: Single center experience

INTRODUCTION: The laparoscopy technique is widely recognized for its numerous benefits in rectal surgery. This study assesses the short-term outcomes of 81 patients who underwent laparoscopic rectal resection.
METHODS: The study included 81 patients who underwent laparoscopic rectal surgery at the General Surgery Clinic of Tokat Gaziosmanpaşa University Faculty of Medicine Hospital from January 2019 to January 2022. The evaluation focused on demographic data, surgical details, tumor TNM staging, and early postoperative complications.
RESULTS: A total of 81 patients with malignant lesions underwent laparoscopic rectal surgery. The median age was 64.4 years (range: 35-86), with 54 patients (66.6%) being male and 27 (33.3%) female. The average BMI was 27.8±3.1 kg/m2. Surgical procedures included abdominoperineal resection (APR) in 16 cases, anterior resection in 13, low anterior resection in 45, and intersphincteric resection in 7 cases. The average surgery duration was 264 minutes (range: 189-435). Stage T3 tumors were present in 47 patients (58%). Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was administered to 68 patients (83.9%). The median number of lymph nodes retrieved was 12 (range: 4-43), with all patients achieving negative surgical margins. The postoperative hospital stay averaged 8.5 days (range: 4-48). Early postoperative complications occurred in 15 patients (18.5%), including wound infection in 9, anastomotic fistula in 3, anastomotic site bleeding in 1, parastomal hernia in 1, and perianal abscess in 1. Intraoperative complications occurred in 3 patients, involving ureter injury, iliac artery injury, and diaphragm injury in one patient each. There were no mortalities in this series of patients.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that laparoscopic rectal surgery is a safe procedure, characterized by a low complication rate, short hospital stays, and effective surgical resection and lymph node dissection.