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Outcome of laparoscopic surgery for colon cancer in elderly patients
Author(s) -
Tomimaru Y,
Ide Y,
Murata K
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
asian journal of endoscopic surgery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 18
eISSN - 1758-5910
pISSN - 1758-5902
DOI - 10.1111/j.1758-5910.2010.00061.x
Subject(s) - medicine , colorectal cancer , surgery , blood loss , gastroenterology , colorectal surgery , cancer , anesthesia , abdominal surgery
The aim of this study was to evaluate whether elderly patients with colorectal cancer benefit from laparoscopic colon surgery (LAC) in comparison to open colon surgery (OC). Methods: Patients with colon cancer were divided into four groups; >75 years (CC >75 ) [LAC >75 (n=36), OC >75 (n=15)] and ≤75 years [LAC ≤75 (n=90), OC ≤75 (n=26)]. Differences in postoperative short‐term outcomes were analyzed among the age and procedure groups. Results: Intraoperative blood loss was significantly less in the LAC >75 group (68 ± 168 ml) than in the OC >75 group (118 ± 130 ml, P =0.040). The C‐reactive protein of patients in the OC >75 group (5.4 ± 2.2 mg/dl) tended to be less than that of the LAC >75 group (6.1 ± 2.8 mg/dl, P =0.080) on postoperative day 1. The time to the first passage of flatus was significantly shorter in the LAC >75 group (2.0 ± 0.7 days) than in the OC >75 group (2.7 ± 0.8 days, P =0.003). Postoperative hospital stays were also shorter in the LAC >75 group (14.2 ± 9.4 days) than in the OC >75 group (18.0 ± 8.3 days, P =0.038). No mortality was registered in the LAC >75 group, while one patient in the OC >75 group died during the postoperative course. The rate of postoperative morbidity was similar between the LAC >75 and OC >75 groups [13.9% (5/36) versus 20.0% (3/15), P =0.679]. Conclusion: LAC provides some advantages over OC in patients with colon cancer aged >75 years as well as in those aged ≤75 years. LAC can be safely performed in very elderly patients with colon cancer.