A Study of 101 Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgeries: a Single Surgeon Experience. How Important Is the Learning Curve?

This study aims to document demographic and intraoperative variables and short-term postoperative outcomes in patients being operated by laparoscopy-assisted colorectal surgeries and assessing the magnitude of impact of the learning curve on surgical results. This study included 101 patients with colonic or rectal pathology getting operated for laparoscopy-assisted colorectal surgeries carried out by the same surgeon over 5 years (2008 to 2013). The patient data was retrospectively analyzed for pre-decided variables. Also, comparison was made between the surgeries performed during the learning curve of initial 30 cases with subsequent operations. Laparoscopic colorectal surgeries give satisfactory results in terms of intraoperative parameters like surgical duration, blood loss, and clinico-pathologic parameters like lymph nodal resection and distal and circumferential margins. Patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgeries fare better in short-term postoperative period while early long-term outcomes appear similar as compared to the standard open colorectal surgeries. The surgical outcomes, both intraoperative and early postoperative, improve significantly once the learning curve is negotiated. Laparoscopic Surgery can be safely used as an alternative to conventional open colorectal surgeries without compromising on oncological principles.