Implementation of a colorectal laparoscopic surgical program - short-term outcomes and conversion rates

PURPOSE: although laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of colorectal diseases represents a major advance, it is currently performed in less than a third of patients undergoing colectomies. The aim of this study is to analyze the initial results of laparoscopic-assisted colorectal surgeries (LACS) performed in a department of Coloproctology in a tertiary hospital, as well as to study the impact of age, gender and body mass index (BMI) and use of ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices in relation to conversion rate. METHODS: this is a prospective observational study with 215 patients who underwent LACS between January 2006 and June 2010 in the Department of Coloproctology at Felicio Rocho Hospital, Belo Horizonte. The data obtained from a specific electronic database included demographics, diagnosis, use of ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices, reason for conversion, duration of hospitalization, lymph node harvest in cancer specimens, complications, and deaths. RESULTS: the laparoscopic-assisted approach corresponded to 36.4% of all colorectal surgeries performed during the study period. Most patients were female (74%), with a mean age of 53.2 years. Ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices were used in 32% of LACS. Specimen extraction and anastomosis were performed through an auxiliary incision in most cases. The overall conversion rate was 12%, with a decrease of 47% after the first year. We did not observe any association between conversion rate and age, gender, BMI, and the use of ultrasonic scissors and vessel sealing devices. The average hospital stay was of 7.7 days and the overall rate of complications was 20%, including 10 anastomotic leaks (4.65%). The rate of postoperative mortality was 1.86%. CONCLUSIONS: despite the difficulties related to the learning curve and unavailability of ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices in most cases, the implementation of LACS in our department can be considered successful in relation to short-term results and conversion rates

Multimodal treatment of peritoneal malignancies - results of the implantation in a tertiary hospital

INTRODUCTION: Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a condition that may be present in the natural history of colorectal cancer and some other tumors, such as pseudomyxoma peritonei. It has been associated with poor prognosis. The treatment for patients with this condition, up until recently, was systemic chemotherapy or palliative care to relieve the pain and suffering caused by peritoneal dissemination of certain cancers. Promising results, however, have been reported after the implementation of radical cytoreductive surgery followed by peroperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of cytoreductive surgery and peroperative hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis secondary to colorectal cancer and pseudomyxoma peritonei. RESULTS: We retrospectively evaluated 24 patients from 2004 to 2011. Mean age was 51.31 years, and 54% were female. The primary diagnosis in 50.01% of the cases was pseudomyxoma peritonei, 41.66%, of colon cancer, and 8.33%, of mesothelioma. The overall complication rate was around 83%, two patients (8%) subsequently died between the 8th and 30th postoperative day. There was an association between the peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI) and operative time. The one-year survival rate in the group examined was 60% for colon cancer, and 78.5% for pseudomyxoma. Overall survival was 50% in three years. CONCLUSION: cytoreductive surgery combined with HIPEC is a treatment option for patients with peritoneal carcinomatosis of colorectal origin and pseudomyxoma. Despite the high rate of peroperative complications (83%), it was possible to achieve a superior survival rate in relation to conventional treatments reported in the literature