Efficacy of laparoscopic resection in elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Purpose: The perioperative outcomes of laparoscopic colorectal surgery in elderly patients were compared with those of open surgery in elderly patients and those of laparoscopic surgery in nonelderly patients to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of laparoscopic surgery in elderly patients with colorectal cancer.

Methods: The data of the patients who underwent surgical resection for colorectal cancer between January 2007 and September 2012 were retrospectively collected. The clinical backgrounds and outcomes of elderly patients (≥70 years of age) who underwent laparoscopic surgery (EL group) were compared with those of elderly patients who underwent open surgery (EO group) and those of nonelderly patients (<70 years of age) who underwent laparoscopic surgery (NL group).

Results: Compared with the EO group, the EL group showed significantly less blood loss (15 versus 100 ml), fewer postoperative complications (10.7 versus 36.7 %), earlier resumption of an oral diet (4 versus 5 days) and shorter postoperative hospital stays (16 versus 28 days). A case-matched analysis showed similar results. All perioperative outcomes were equivalent between the EL and NL groups.

Conclusions: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in elderly patients with cancer was not only superior to open surgery in elderly patients, but also equivalent to laparoscopic surgery in nonelderly patients in terms of the postoperative outcomes.