Comparing the outcomes of laparoscopic versus open surgery in patients with colorectal cancer

This study compared the short- and long-term outcomes of two types of surgery for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC): open surgery (OS) versus laparoscopic surgery (LS). LS led to less pain following surgery, shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and improved survival rates.

CRC is very common, particularly in the elderly. In the past it has most often been treated through OS, a procedure where the cancer and surrounding tissue were removed through one large incision. A second type of surgery, LS, has become more popular, because it involves a few small incisions, has a faster recovery time, and leads to less pain following surgery.  

This study included 2011 patients who underwent either LS (40.5% patients) or OS (59.5%) to treat CRC. The patients were followed for approximately 5 years after surgery. LS was found to cause less pain after surgery and led to faster recovery times. Patients who received LS had less surgery complications compared to patients in the OS group (17.3% versus 28%). Overall survival (defined as the percentage of patients who are still alive after a time from diagnosis) was higher in the LS group (74.7%) compared to the OS group (65.5%). Patients who received LS also had higher 5-year cancer specific survival (defined as the percentage of patients who have not died because of CRC 5 years after treatment) compared to patients who received OS (81.9% versus 75.2%).

In summary, LS is an alternative to OS for CRC patients and can improve both short- and long-term survival.

The improvement in long-term survival was seen mainly in patients with stage II cancer. In Stages I, III and IV the type of surgery did not affect the survival rate.