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Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery

Laparoscopic or minimally invasive surgery is the latest surgical advancement in treating problems of the small intestine or colon.

The word laparoscopy means "to see" (scope) and lapara is that portion of the body between the ribs and the hips. The technique for many years was used by Gynecologists to study the female reproductive organs and to correct gynecological disorders. This technique expanded for use in gallbladder surgery in the late 1980's, then in the early 1990’s surgeons found it was also useful as a way of performing surgery on the colon as well.

During laparoscopic surgery, patients are placed under general anesthesia. The surgeon makes small, half inch-long incisions in the abdomen, then a narrow tube-like instrument called a Trocar is used to enter the abdomen. A laparoscope, a tiny telescope connected to a video camera, is placed into the abdomen, which is inflated with carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. The inflation of the abdomen lifts the skin off the organs, enabling the surgeon to better visualize and work around them. The surgeon inserts other trocars and then places various small, specialized instruments through the trocars to perform the surgery.

Laparoscopic colon surgery (LCS) usually takes longer to perform than traditional, open surgery, due to the delicate handling and maneuvering of the instruments in the smaller incisions. Over the years, members of Colon Rectal Surgical Associates have used laparoscopic surgery to treat benign disorders of the colon such as inflammatory bowel disease, diverticular disease or benign polyps of the colon too large to be removed by colonoscopy. A, landmark study in The New England Journal of Medicine published in 2002 has shown that laparoscopic colorectal surgery is just as effective in treating colon cancer as traditional, open surgery. In addition, the study showed that it is a more attractive option for patients, due to its many benefits:

Smaller Incisions - An incision for LCS is about four centimeters versus a 30 centimeter incision for open traditional surgery. The scars are usually less visible and are preferable - for cosmetic reasons - to having a larger scar across the abdomen. The smaller incisions also greatly reduce the chance of infection and further complications.
Less Pain - Because the incisions are smaller, the pain experienced post-surgery by patients is significantly decreased. This reduces the amount of pain medication patients require in the days following the surgery.
Quicker Recovery - Most patients are able to walk around the same day; and in many instances are able to drink fluids on the day of surgery. Generally, a patient can return to his or her normal lifestyle and activities much more quickly than with traditional, open surgery, which may require weeks of recovery and prolonged bed rest.
Shorter Hospital Stay - Many patients are discharged either with in 2-3 days after the laparoscopic colon surgery. This is a tremendous advantage when compared to the 7 to 10-day hospital stay that is typical of traditional, open surgery.

The learning curve for surgeons to master Laparoscopic Colon Resection is very steep requiring a minimum of 80-100 procedures to attain a level high enough so that laparoscopic results will be similar to open results.

As experts in the field, members of Colon Rectal Surgical Associates have established a one day seminar to teach other surgeons the proper technique of Laparoscopic Colon Resection. In our practice, what distinguishes us from others is that we typically have two trained surgeons working together during all of our procedures, open or laparoscopic. For more information, please feel free to get in touch with us.