The Advantage of Minimally Invasive Laparoscopic Surgery for Colon Cancer Patients

A new research found that patients with colon cancer who underwent laparoscopic surgery have far more potential to recover easily than those who used an open surgery method. Dr. Jerald Wishner, director of colorectal surgery at Northern Westchester Hospital in Mount Kisco, N.Y. said, "Laparoscopic surgery offers many advantages when compared to similar procedures performed through a large open incision." Patients undergoing a minimally invasive laparoscopic approach experience increased tolerance to pain, faster return of bowel function, earlier mobility, prompt return of activities of daily living, and shorter hospitals stays. On the other hand, patients who had an open surgery resulted to longer hospital stays with prolonged bed rest, poor wound healing and increased risk to infection, and have more surgery-related complications. Dr. Julio Teixeira, a general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said that the procedure was not new. “However, the techniques had difficulty gaining acceptance among surgeons because of the concern over the safe and proper performance of cancer surgery and the challenging skill sets required," he concluded.