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 greater than or equal to 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.