Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in routine at a municipal hospital

The importance of laparoscopic techniques in colorectal surgery as routine service in a municipal hospital is described in a prospective study. Patients and method: From April 1993 to March 1997 359 patients were operated laparoscopically for colon and rectum diseases in the surgical department of the municipal hospital Zehlendorf Berlin, local area Behring. In the beginning we operated only patients with benign disorders. Since July 1995 patients with colorectal malignancies were resected on the basis of oncological criteria within a multicenter prospective trial. 149 patients (41.5 %) were operated for benign colorectal diseases. 93 patients (25.9 %) had diverticulosis, diverticulitis or benign tumors. 26 were resected in MIS-technique for rectum prolapse. 180 patients presented with colorectal malignancies and were operated in 153 cases (42.9 %) with curative intention. Results: Mean operation time was between 60 and 520 min. Learning curve reduces after 40 operations operation time significantly. Severe complications appeared in 4.5 % of all cases.