Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for the management of colon and rectal cancer
Many traditional open surgeries for cancer management can now be performed using a laparoscope for a minimally invasive approach. For patients, this means that they have almost no incision and much faster recovery time. The goal is to treat the cancer with the same aggressive approach but to do this in a way that gets patients back to their lives as quickly as possible.
This minimally invasive approach has proven benefits both short term as well as the long term recovery. In the short term, large international trials have shown that this approach is equivalent from a cancer perspective but the lack of a large incisions decreases pain, decreases narcotic use, shortens length of stay in hospital, hastens full recovery and many other benefits. In the long term, the benefits are profound, in that there is no residual scar tissue in the abdomen and therefore bowel blockages from scar tissue decreases significantly. Also, without a residual large scar, hernias and wound complications do not occur.
This approach has been studied extensively for many years in the setting of both colon and rectal cancer and is known to be safe and effective.
The two patients below required surgery to remove cancer from their colons. The patient on the left had a laparoscopic procedure, while the patient on the right went through a traditional, open surgery.
On average, based on large studies, the patient on the left will:
- get home two days earlier from hospital
- be back to work up to three weeks earlier
- have much less pain and use less pain medication
- have a quicker return of bowel function
- much less likely to develop a hernia through the abdominal wall
- much less likely to have a scar tissue left behind in the abdomen
Although laparoscopic surgery is not appropriate for all cancer management, many more cancers are safely and effectively being treated with this technique. Is a minimally invasive surgery right for you? Ask your doctor. Or ask one of ours.
Below, our surgeons have answered a few questions that are often asked about laparoscopic surgery for the management of colorectal cancers.
Types of minimally invasive colorectal cancer procedures
