Minimally invasive surgery in colon cancer patients leads to improved short-term outcomes and excellent oncologic results

BackgroundMinimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques are beneficial compared with open techniques. There is a paucity of data of the potential advantages of MIS in colon cancer surgery for veterans. Therefore, we hypothesize that use of MIS in colon cancer resections in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center will lead to improved short-term outcomes without compromising oncologic outcomes.MethodsA retrospective analysis of a prospectively maintained database was performed. We compared surgical, short-term, and oncologic outcomes in MIS versus open surgery.ResultsMIS patients had significantly less blood loss, surgical time, days to return of bowel function, and hospital and intensive care unit stays. Also, they had a greater and more adequate lymphadenectomy, and were less likely to experience a postoperative complication. Survival analyses showed no difference in overall and disease-free survival.ConclusionsThe use of MIS in colon cancer leads to improved short-term outcomes and similar oncologic outcomes when compared with open surgery.