Background: This study aimed to define the management and risk factors for intraoperative complications (IOC) and conversion in laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and to assess whether surgeon experience influences intraoperative outcomes.
Methods: Consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal procedures from 1991 to 2005 were analyzed from a longitudinal prospectively collected database. All patients referred to the four surgeons involved in this study were offered a minimally invasive approach. Patient characteristics, perioperative variables, and surgeon experience data were analyzed and compared.
Results: A total of 991 consecutive laparoscopic colorectal procedures were studied. The majority of operations were performed for malignant disease (n=526, 53%), and most frequently consisted of segmental colonic resections (n=718, 72%). A total of 85 patients (8.6%) had an IOC. Patients experiencing an IOC had a significantly higher median body weight (75 versus 68 kg, p=0.0047) and had a higher proportion of previous abdominal surgery (31% versus 20%, p=0.029). Only 39% of patients suffering an IOC required conversion to open surgery. A total of 126 (13%) cases were converted to open surgery. On multivariable analysis, previous abdominal surgery [odds ratio (OR) 3.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.39-8.35, p=0.0076] was independently associated with having an IOC and a conversion to open within the same procedure. With increasing experience, individual surgeons were found to operate on heavier patients (p=0.025), and on patients who had a higher rate of previous intra-abdominal surgery (p<0.0001). Despite these risk factors, the early and late experience demonstrated no significant difference in terms of IOCs (p=0.54) and conversion to open surgery (p=0.40).
Conclusions: The majority of IOCs can be managed laparoscopically. With increasing experience surgeons can perform laparoscopic colorectal surgery on a patient population with a greater proportion of previous abdominal surgery and a higher mean body weight without adversely affecting their rates of intraoperative complications or conversion.