Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery versus conventional colorectal surgery

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is a newly developed minimally invasive surgical approach. The aim of this prospective randomized study was to compare perioperative parameters between HALS and conventional colorectal surgery (CCRS) in the treatment of colorectal disease. A total of 49 patients were enrolled in this study, 25 were randomized to CCRS and 24 to HALS. The two groups were compared with regard to operative time, blood loss, length of postoperative hospital stay, time to first passage of flatus and stool and to initial oral intake, use of analgesic drugs, and length of incision wound. The two patient groups were similar with regard to age, gender distribution, cormobidity, disease pattern, operative procedure, and perioperativc complications. The HALS patient groups had significantly shorter hospital stay and incision length, faster recovery of gastrointestinal function, and less usage of intravenous analgesia.