Implementation of a colorectal laparoscopic surgical program - short-term outcomes and conversion rates

abstract Purpose: although laparoscopic surgery for the treatment of colorectal diseases represents a major advance, it is currently performed in less than a third of patients undergoing colectomies. The aim of this study is to analyze the initial results of laparoscopic-assisted colorectal surgeries (LACS) performed in a department of Coloproctology in a tertiary hospital, as well as to study the impact of age, gender and body mass index (BMI) and use of ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices in relation to conversion rate. Methods: this is a prospective observational study with 215 patients who underwent LACS be-tween January 2006 and June 2010 in the Department of Coloproctology at Felicio Rocho Hospital, Belo Horizonte. The data obtained from a specific electronic database included demographics, diagnosis, use of ultrasonic scissors or vessel sealing devices, reason for conversion, duration of hospitalization, lymph node harvest in cancer specimens, complications, and deaths.