Laparoscopic colon resection: 60 cases.

The first 60 successfully completed laparoscopic colectomies in our series are reported. Patients used moderate amounts of narcotic postoperatively, tolerated oral intake early postoperatively (mean, 1.5 days), and returned to work 2.5 weeks postoperatively. Mean blood loss was 127 cc. Morbidity (11.6%) and mortality (1.6%) were acceptable. Length of stay, complications, and operating time all decreased with experience suggesting a steep learning curve.