A case-matched comparison of the short-term outcomes between laparoscopic and open abdominoperineal resection for rectal cancer

The aim of this study was to evaluate the short-term surgical outcomes of laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer, by comparing it with a case-control series of open APR. Fourteen patients with rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic APR between August 2004 and November 2011 were compared with the open APR group of 14 patients matched for age, gender, and surgical procedure. There were no cases of conversion to laparotomy in the laparoscopic APR group and no mortality in either of the groups. The median operation was longer (P = 0.002), but the median amount of blood loss was smaller (P = 0.019), in the laparoscopic APR group. The median length of hospital stay of the laparoscopic APR group was 8 days, shorter than that of the open APR group (16 days, P < 0.001). The changes of the WBC count and serum CRP level after operations were significantly smaller in the laparoscopic APR group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of the perioperative morbidity and readmission rates within 30 days. Patients undergoing laparoscopic APR had superior perioperative outcomes to those undergoing open APR, except for the longer operation.