Preliminary experience with laparoscopic-guided colectomy.

Laparoscopic-assisted colonic resection was attempted in 18 patients: 12 patients had surgery for ascending colon lesions, three underwent attempted left-sided colectomies, and three patients had low anterior resection. Three early patients required conversion to open laparotomy when the pathologic lesion could not be identified under laparoscopic guidance. In patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery, postoperative pain was markedly reduced. Oral intake was begun between the first and third postoperative days, and average hospital stay was 4 days. No operative morbidity or mortality occurred in this small group of patients.