GASTROINTESTINAL RECOVERY FOLLOWING LAPAROSCOPIC VS OPEN COLON SURGERY

Background: We prospectively studied the recovery of gastrointestinal motility in patients undergoing laparoscopic (LAP, n = 7) or open (OPE N, n = 7) colon resections. Methods: At operation, bipolar recording e lectrodes were placed on the proximal and distal antrum, the proximal site of the colonic anastomosis, and the rectosigmoid for postoperativ e myoelectric recordings. Results: Shorter postoperative hospitalizati on and earlier resumption of a regular diet of the LAP group just bare ly failed to achieve significant differences when compared with the OP EN group (p = 0.091, p = 0.050, respectively). There were no differenc es between groups for slow wave frequency, amplitude, or dysrhythmias in the antrum, nor for return of discrete (DERA) and continuous (CERA) electrical response activity in the colon. Percentage of slow waves w ith spike activity tended to increase with passage of time postoperati vely in both groups, There was a significant difference between POD 3 and 7+ in the LAP group (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences in the percentage of slow waves with spike activities bet ween groups on any postoperative day. Conclusions: The potential benef its of using a laparoscopic approach to colon resection are not clearl y confirmed by these data. While such an approach may possibly result in shorter hospitalization, it appears to offer at best only modest in creases in the rapidity of recovery of gastrointestinal function.