LAPAROSCOPIC COLORECTAL SURGERY IN ROUTIN E AT A MUNICIPAL HOSPITAL

The importance of laparoscopic techniques in colorectal surgery as rou tine service in a municipal hospital is described in a prospective stu dy. Patients and method: From April 1993 to March 1997 359 patients we re operated laparoscopically for colon and rectum diseases in the surg ical department of the municipal hospital Zehlendorf Berlin, local are a Behring. In the beginning we operated only patients with benign diso rders. Since July 1995 patients with colorectal malignancies were rese cted on the basis of oncological criteria within a multicenter prospec tive trial. 149 patients (41.5 %) were operated for benign colorectal diseases. 93 patients (25.9 %) had diverticulosis, diverticulitis or b enign tumors. 26 were resected in MIS-technique for rectum prolapse. 1 80 patients presented with colorectal malignancies and were operated i n 153 cases (42.9 %) with curative intention. Results: Mean operation time was between 60 and 520 min. Learning curve reduces after 40 opera tions operation time significantly. Severe complications appeared in 4 .5 % of all cases.