Early outcome after minilaparotomy for the treatment of rectal cancer

Objective: To compare early outcomes of the minilaparotomy approach to the resection of rectal cancer with those of conventional laparotomy. Design: Retrospective study. Setting: University hospital, Japan. Subjects: 18 patients who had complete resection through a minilaparotomy and 20 who had a conventional laparotomy served as the study and the control groups, respectively. Patients who were overweight or morbidly obese (body mass index ≥ 25) were excluded from the study. Interventions: Complete resection through a skin incision less than 7 cm in length, or a conventional incision. Main outcome measures: Early postoperative outcomes. Results: Postoperative time intervals to standing, walking, passing flatus, and removal of the urinary catheter, and analgesic requirements were significantly less in the minilaparotomy group (p = 0.007, p = 0.004, p = 0.02, p = 0.002, and p = 0.05, respectively). Conclusions: The minilaparotomy for complete resection of rectal cancer is less invasive than conventional laparotomy, and provides an attractive alternative in highly selected patients who are not overweight. Copyright © 2001 Taylor and Francis Ltd.