Oncological quality and preliminary long-term results in laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

BACKGROUND: Our aim here was interpret data on the perioperative course, oncological quality, and preliminary long-term results of laparoscopic colorectal surgery carried out with a curative intent. METHODS: The data were collected within the framework of a prospective multicenter observational study that has been ongoing since 1 Aug 1995 and includes 46 hospitals. Of a total of 3133 patients, 826 (26.4%) underwent a curative resection for colorectal carcinoma. RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 67.9 years; the sex distribution was almost 1:1. UICC staging of tumors (stages I, II, and III) showed the following figures: 301/36.4%, 265/32.1%, and 260/31.5%. In the majority of cases, an oncologically radical resection with high transection of the supplying vessels was performed. Intraoperative seeding of tumor cells was reported in 1.8% of the patients. In eight cases, the seeding was due to spontaneous rupture of the tumor. A mean of 13.5 lymph nodes in the resected specimen were investigated histopathologically (10.9 lymph nodes in stage I, 15 each in stages II and III). Depending on the individual hospital, we found a remarkable variation in the number of lymph nodes investigated. With a mean follow-up period of 2.1 years, Kaplan-Meier survival function showed acceptable results, both for rectal and colonic carcinoma, in comparison with conventional colorectal surgery. A stage-related consideration of the survival data yielded similar results. CONCLUSION: All in all, the results show that a laparoscopic colorectal procedure can meet oncological radicality criteria, even though certain reservations-in particular, in the case of procedures done with a curative intent-have not been completely eliminated.

Laparoscopic treatment of rectal prolapse: experience gained in a prospective multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: We report the findings of a prospective multicenter observational study carried out by the Study Group for Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery on patients undergoing laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted surgery for rectal prolapse. The study investigated the safety of various laparoscopic techniques in terms of perioperative and postoperative general and technique-specific complications and compared the results with those reported for open surgery in this area. METHODS: Of the 150 patients undergoing laparoscopic or laparoscopic-assisted colorectal surgery for rectal prolapse 124 received rectopexy combined with resection and 26 rectopexy alone. In 85 patients a mesh was employed during rectopexy. The conversion rate was 5.3%. RESULTS: Perioperative complications (21 surgical and 35 general perioperative) were recorded in 37 patients (24.7%). The reoperation rate was 5.3% (bleeding 2, anastomotic leak 2, ileus 4). No procedure-specific perioperative complications were observed. In particular, reduced surgical trauma led to fewer severe postoperative complications such as cardiopulmonary problems (3.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The techniques of conventional prolapse surgery can readily be translated to the laparoscopic modality, since oncological criteria do not have to be considered. The usually elderly patients in this group benefit to a particular degree from the known advantages associated with reduced surgical trauma. Perioperative morbidity is determined largely by the surgeon's experience. We therefore believe that rectal prolapse is a suitable indication for the minimally invasive modality in the hands of trained surgeons.

Laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection and anterior resection with curative intent for carcinoma of the rectum.

BACKGROUND: Within a 5-year period, 380 rectal carcinoma patients undergoing laparoscopic abdominoperineal excision or laparoscopic anterior resection were recruited to a multicenter study by 23 institutions in Germany and Austria. This study was initiated by the Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group. RESULTS: One hundred forty-nine patients (39.2%) underwent abdominoperineal resection (APR), and 231 patients (60.8%) were treated by anterior resection (AR). The mean operating time was 208 min, and the conversion rate was 6.1%. Intraoperative complications, mostly vascular or bowel injuries, were observed in 22 patients (5.8%). Overall, a total of 257 postoperative complications and problems occurred in 143 patients, resulting in a morbidity rate of 37.6%. In the AR group, the anastomotic leakage rate increased as the distance of the tumor from the anal verge decreased. The perioperative mortality rate was low (6/1.6%). Most of the patients received a high transsection of the inferior mesenteric artery with radical lymph node dissection (342/90.0%); the mean number of recovered lymph nodes was 13.0, with considerable variation among the individual institutions. Intraoperative tumor cell spillage was reported in 12 patients (3.2%). Sufficient follow-up findings are available for 288 (77%) patients. To date, 19 patients have sustained a local recurrence (6.6%), and 30 (10.4%) have developed distant metastases. Within the (admittedly limited) mean follow-up of 24.8 months, the overall survival rate is 86.6%, the disease-free survival (freedom from both local recurrence and distant metastases) rate is 62.4% for APR, with the corresponding rates for AR being 71.7 and 54.8%, respectively, as established by the Kaplan-Meier function. These data show no alarmingly high recurrence rates at this time. CONCLUSION: In principle, laparoscopic anterior resection with curative intent generates considerably more reservations than laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection, which is technically much easier to perform.

Laparoscopic anterior resection for rectal carcinoma. Results of a registry.

At the present time, laparoscopic anterior resection of the rectum cannot be recommended for routine use. Such operations should be performed for curative intent only within scientifically valid studies. Furthermore, only interventions involving the upper part of the rectum or the rectosigmoidal junction can, on the basis of the morbidity rate, be justified. Procedures done on the low rectum necessitating a total mesorectal excision technically are difficult and, in the present study, are associated with a significant increase in morbidity, in particular anastomotic leakage. Therefore, tumors in the lower two thirds of the rectum that may be eligible for restorative proctectomy should not be treated for curative intent by the laparoscopic approach. General reservations also persist with regard to compliance with the principles of oncologic radicality.

Experience as a factor influencing the indications for laparoscopic colorectal surgery and the results.

BACKGROUND: The influence of experience on the results of treatment with laparoscopic surgery is indisputable. The establishment of indications and contraindications is relative, and varies depending on the experience of the surgeon. Learning curves have been described for a number of laparoscopic interventions, in particular laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The current prospective multicenter study investigates, among other things, the interrelation between experience and the results of treatment using laparoscopic colorectal surgery. The study makes no pronouncements on the long-term results achieved in patients with colorectal carcinoma who underwent an operation with curative intent, although relevant data were indeed collected. RESULTS: Between August 1, 1995 and February 1, 1999, a total of 1,658 patients were recruited to the prospective multicenter study initiated by the Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group. To investigate the influence of surgical experience, two groups were formed. Group A comprised all the institutions and surgeons with experience of more than 100 laparoscopic colorectal operations. Group B contained institutions and surgeons with experience of fewer than 100 such interventions. The results of this study clearly show that in Group A, significantly more procedures involving the rectum were performed (26.7% vs 9.5%), and significantly more carcinomas were surgically managed (37.3% vs 17.3%). Despite this significantly higher level of technically difficult procedures in the patient population of group A, which was comparable in terms of age, gender, height, and weight with the patient in group B, the postoperative mortality and morbidity was, with the exception of urinary tract infections, identical between the two groups. Conversion to open surgery was significantly less frequent in group A (4.3% vs 6.9%), and, finally, the duration of the procedures performed by the more experienced surgeons of group A was appreciably shorter than in institutions with a smaller frequency of such operations. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery is very demanding, and can be performed with low morbidity and mortality rates only by a surgeon with above-average experience with this type of surgery and a large caseload of laparoscopic colorectal procedures. The learning curve for such procedures is appreciably longer than for other laparoscopic operations. With increasing experience, technically more demanding operations, including radical oncologic rectal laparoscopic procedures, can be performed with appreciably reduced operating times and conversion rates, but with no increase in morbidity or mortality.

Importance of conversion for results obtained with laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

PURPOSE: The need for a conversion is a problem inherent in laparoscopic surgery. The present study points up the significance of conversion for the results obtained with laparoscopic colorectal surgery and identifies the risk factors that establish the need for conversion. METHOD: The study took the form of a multicentric, prospective, observational study within the Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group. A total of 33 institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland participated. The study period was 3.5 years. Cases were documented with the aid of a standardized questionnaire. RESULTS: Within the framework of the Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group, a total of 1,658 patients were recruited to a multicenter study over a period of three and one-half years (from August 1, 1995 to February 1, 1999). The observed conversion rate was 5.2 percent (n = 86). The patients requiring a conversion were significantly heavier (body mass index, 26.5 vs. 24.9) than those undergoing pure laparoscopy. Resections of the rectum were associated with a higher risk for conversion (20.9 vs. 13 percent). Intraoperative complications occurred significantly more frequently in the conversion group (27.9 vs. 3.8 percent). The duration of the operation was significantly increased after conversion in a considerable proportion of the procedures performed. Postoperative morbidity (47.7 vs. 26.1 percent), mortality (3.5 vs. 1.5 percent), recovery time, and postoperative hospital stay were all negatively influenced by conversion, in part significantly. Institutions with experience of more than 100 laparoscopic colorectal procedures proved to have a significantly lower conversion rate than those with experience of fewer than 100 such interventions (4.3 vs. 6.9 percent). CONCLUSION: Although, of itself, conversion is not considered to be a complication of laparoscopic surgery, it is true that the postoperative course after conversion is associated with appreciably poorer results in terms of morbidity, mortality, convalescence, blood transfusion requirement, and postoperative hospital stay. The importance of experience in laparoscopic surgery can be demonstrated on the basis of the conversion rates. Careful patient selection oriented to the experience of the surgeon is required if we are to keep the conversion, morbidity, and mortality rates of laparoscopic colorectal procedures as low as possible.

Laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection: early postoperative results of a prospective study involving 116 patients. The Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group.

PURPOSE: Although laparoscopic colorectal surgery is attracting ever more attention, its use for curative treatment of colorectal carcinoma in particular continues to be controversial. The present study was an attempt to analyze the results of the perioperative course, oncologic quality, and preliminary long-term results. METHOD: The data considered here were collected within the framework of a prospective, observational study initiated on August 1, 1995, and involving a total of 18 institutions in Germany and Austria. At the end of three years, the results are now being presented selectively, i.e., focusing only on abdominoperineal resection. RESULTS: A total of 116 patients underwent laparoscopic abdominoperineal resections, 98 (84.5 percent) of which were performed with curative intent. The mean operating time was 226 (confidence interval, 140-365) minutes. Seven patients (6 percent) experienced an intraoperative complication, which in more than one-half of the cases was a vascular injury involving the presacral venous plexus; the conversion rate was 3.4 percent. Postoperatively, 40 patients developed 97 complications--including those of a very minor nature--giving an overall morbidity rate of 34.4 percent. Reoperation in six patients (5.2 percent) had to be performed for an afterbleed in one-half of the cases and ileus in the other one-half. Postoperative mortality was a low 1.7 percent. In most of the curative resections, an oncologically radical operation with high transection of the inferior mesenteric artery and a complete dissection of the pelvis down to the floor was performed. The median number of lymph nodes investigated was 11.5, and there was wide fluctuation in the numbers among the individual institutions. Tumor cell dissemination occurred intraoperatively in five patients. In the meantime, 79 patients (81 percent) underwent at least one follow-up examination, the mean follow-up period being 491 days. Seven patients developed a local recurrence, and a further six patients developed distant metastases. For recurrence-free survival rate, the Kaplan-Meier estimation calculated a probability of 71 percent. CONCLUSION: Not all of the reservations about laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection, in particular with regard to resection with curative intent, have yet been eliminated. The present study does, however, show that a laparoscopic approach can in principle meet oncologic requirements of radicality and, with regard to the postoperative course, is associated with considerable benefits to the patient.

Laparoscopic surgery for the cure of colorectal cancer: results of a German five-center study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic surgery for the cure of colorectal cancer with emphasis on oncologic follow-up in particular. METHODS: A study was performed of patients with colorectal cancer treated by laparoscopy in five German centers between May 1991 and September 1997. Surgical and pathologic data were recorded in an anonymous registry database and analyzed by type of resection. Standard procedures were sigmoid or left colectomy, anterior resection, abdominoperineal resection, and right hemicolectomy. Follow-up information included incidence of local, distant, and port site recurrence and cancer-related death. RESULTS: A total of 399 patients (212 females) with a mean age of 66.6 years underwent laparoscopic curative resections (sigmoid resection, 89; left colectomy, 11; anterior resection, 157; abdominoperineal resection, 102; right hemicolectomy, 40). Conversion was necessary in 6.3 percent (n = 25). Complications requiring reoperation occurred in 9 percent (n = 35). Complications that were treated conservatively occurred in 27.6 percent (n = 110). Thirty-day mortality was 1.8 percent (n = 7). First bowel movements resumed on the third postoperative day; patients did not use analgesics after a mean of five days. Mean postoperative hospitalization was two weeks. According to International Union Against Cancer classification, 147 patients had Stage I cancer, 35 had Stage II cancer, and 217 underwent curative resection for Stage III cancer. Mean number of lymph nodes resected was 12.1. At a mean follow-up of 30 months, one port site recurrence was documented. No local recurrence was observed after curative resection of Stage I colorectal cancer. Of 399 patients, local recurrence occurred in 6 patients (Stage II, 2; Stage III, 4), and distant metastases were documented in 25 patients (Stage I, 3; Stage II, 3; Stage III, 19). The highest incidence of cancer-related death occurred after abdominoperineal resection (4.9 percent). CONCLUSION: To assess the role of laparoscopic colorectal surgery for the cure of cancer objectively, prospective randomized trials are necessary.

Laparoscopic colorectal anastomosis: risk of postoperative leakage. Results of a multicenter study. Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group (LCSSG).

BACKGROUND: We report on a prospective observational multicenter study of more than 1,000 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal procedures. The aim of the current study was to investigate the safety of laparoscopic colorectal surgery as reflected by the anastomotic insufficiency rates in the various sections of the bowel, and to compare these rates with those of open colorectal surgery. METHODS: The study was begun on August 1, 1995. Twenty-four centers in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland participated in this prospective multicenter study. All patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery were included in the study. No selection criteria were applied, which means that every operation begun as a laparoscopic procedure was included. Data on patient demographics, surgical indications, surgical course, and patient outcome were recorded prospectively in a computer database. All data were rendered anonymous. RESULTS: Between August 1995 and February 1998, the 24 participating centers treated 1,143 patients (male/female ratio, 1:1.36; mean age, 60.7 years). In all, 626 operations were performed for benign indications and 517 for cancer. Most procedures involved the sigmoid colon and rectum (80.9%). An anastomosis was performed in 83% of the operations. Most of the anastomoses were laparoscopically assisted using the stapling technique. We observed an overall leakage rate of 4.25% (colon 2.9%; rectum 12.7%), and surgical reintervention was required in 1% of the cases. The rate of conversion to open surgery was 5.6%. Intraoperative complications occurred in 5.9%, and reoperation was necessary in 4.1% of the cases. The overall morbidity rate was 22.3%, and the 30-day mortality rate was 1.57%. CONCLUSIONS: The feasibility and safety of the laparoscopic colorectal approach is demonstrated clearly. The current study shows that the laparoscopic or laparoscopically assisted approach to colorectal surgery is not associated with a higher risk of anastomotic leaks. Morbidity and mortality rates with this method approximate those seen with conventional colorectal surgery.

Laparoscopic resection of sigmoid diverticulitis. Results of a multicenter study. Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group.

BACKGROUND: In the large bowel, resection of the sigmoid colon is the most commonly performed laparoscopic intervention because large bowel lesions often are located in this part of the bowel and the procedure technically is the most favorable one. A number of publications involving case series or the results of highly experienced individual surgeons already have confirmed the feasibility of laparoscopic resection in cases of diverticulitis. The aim of the present prospective multicentric investigation was to check the results obtained by a large number of surgeons performing laparoscopic resection of the sigmoid colon for diverticulitis in various stages of severity. RESULTS: Between January 8, 1995 and January 1, 1998, the Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group recruited 1,118 patients to the prospective multicenter study. Diverticulitis of the sigmoid colon, which accounted for 304 cases, was the most common indication for laparoscopic intervention. In most of these patients undergoing laparoscopic surgery (81.9%), the diverticulitis manifested as acute phlegmonous peridiverticulitis, recurrent attacks of inflammation, or stenosis. Complicated forms of diverticulitis in Hinchey stages I to IV and late complications of chronic diverticular disease with fistula formation and bleeding accounted for only 18.1% of the cases. For the overall group, the conversion rate was 7.2%. Patients with less severe diverticulitis (i.e., those presenting with peridiverticulitis, stenosis, or recurrent attacks of inflammation) had a conversion rate of 4.8% and the rate for complicated cases was 18.2%. Regarding laparoscopically completed interventions, 3 of 282 patients died (1.1%). In the group of patients with peridiverticulitis, stenosis, or recurrent attacks of inflammation the overall complication rate was 14.8%. The group with perforated diverticulitis in Hinchey stages I to IV or those with fistula and bleeding, the corresponding rate was 28.9%, and after conversion it was 31.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic colorectal interventions in sigmoid diverticulitis are, for the most part, carried out as elective procedures for peridiverticulitis, stenosis, or recurrent attacks of inflammation. The conversion, complication, and mortality rates associated with these interventions are acceptable. Laparoscopic procedures in Hinchey stages I to IV sigmoid diverticulitis and in the presence of fistula and bleeding are more likely to be associated with complications, and should be carried out only by highly experienced laparoscopic surgeons.

[Laparoscopic rectum resection with truncal ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery and mesorectal excision]. / Laparoskopische Rektumresektion mit trunkulärer Ligatur der Arteria mesenterica inferior und mesorektaler Exzision.

Laparoscopic techniques in surgical treatment of colorectal cancer are performed present in prospective trials. Operation times are clearly decreasing with growing surgical experience and oncological criteria concerning resection margins and lymphatic dissection are comparable with open surgery. Indications for laparoscopic rectal resections are the endoscopic non removable adenoma and cancer of the upper and lower rectum endosonographic up to maximum uT3-stage. All laparoscopic resections are performed under conventional oncological criteria: after exploration of the abdominal cavity and laparoscopic ultrasound of the liver we perform the ligature of the inferior mesenteric vein and artery. Dissection and resection of the mesorectum is done by the Harmonic Scalpel. The rectum is taken out by mini laparotomy and anastomosis is done by transanal stapler.

Prospective multicenter study of the quality of oncologic resections in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery for cancer. The Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group.

PURPOSE: Laparoscopic colorectal surgery for cancer is currently under discussion. Results of large, randomized studies will not be available for a number of years yet. This study analyses the results of such resections in consecutive patients operated on by unselected surgeons. METHODS: A prospective, observational, multicenter study was initiated on August 1, 1995, in the German-speaking countries of Europe. One year after initiation of the study, findings are presented with respect to the quality of oncologic resections. RESULTS: Of 500 operations, 231 (46 percent) were performed for cancer, 167 (33 percent) with a curative intent. The most common curative resections were as follows: 63 anterior rectum resections (38 percent), 51 sigmoid resections (30 percent), and 27 abdominoperineal resections (16 percent). Segmental resections were performed in 20 patients (12 percent). Intraoperative tumor spillage was reported in 2 percent. Mean number of lymph nodes harvested was 13 (confidence interval, 5-95 percent; range, 11.5-14.6) and positive lymph nodes harvested was 2.2 (confidence interval, 5-95 percent; range, 0.9-3.4). Significant differences were noted between participating centers in terms of number of lymph nodes resected (P < 0.0001). Distal and proximal resection margins were tumor-free in every case. Lateral margins were tumor free when examined. In the case of 63 curative anterior resections, the mean distal resection margin was 39 (confidence interval, 5-95 percent; range, 33-45) mm, and in 8 of these resections, it was less than 20 min. Mean blood loss was 344 (confidence interval, 5-95 percent; 292-396) ml, and 21 percent of patients received blood transfusion. CONCLUSIONS: These data document that the average quality of laparoscopic colorectal procedures for cancer is satisfactory but differs among surgeons.

Early results of a prospective multicenter study on 500 consecutive cases of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Laparoscopic Colorectal Surgery Study Group (LCSSG).

BACKGROUND: Prospective randomized multicenter studies comparing laparoscopic with open colorectal surgery are not yet available. Reliable data from prospective multicenter studies involving consecutive patients are also lacking. On the basis of the personal caseloads of specialized surgeons or of retrospective analyses, it is difficult to judge the true effectiveness of this new technique. This study aims to investigate the results of laparoscopic colorectal surgery in consecutive patients operated on by unselected surgeons. METHODS: This observational study was begun August 1, 1995, in the German-speaking part of Europe (Germany and Austria) and 43 centers initially agreed to participate. All consecutive cases were documented. All data were rendered anonymous. Analysis was performed on an intention-to-treat basis. The study committee was blinded to the participating center. RESULTS: By the end of the 1st year, 500 patients (M:F ratio 0.83, mean age 62.9 years) had been treated by 18 centers; 269 operations were performed for benign indications and 231 for cancer (palliative and curative). Most operations were done on the distal colon or rectum. An anastomosis was performed in 84%, with an overall leakage rate of 5.3% (colon 3.6% and rectum 11.8%), which required surgical reintervention in 1.7%. The mean operating time was 176 min and showed a decreasing tendency over the period under study. The conversion rate was 7.0% and the overall complication rate 21.4%. The reoperation rate was 6.6%; the most common cause was bleeding. There was one ureteral lesion (0.2%), but urinary tract infections were fairly common (4.8%). A postoperative pneumonia was diagnosed in 1.6% of the cases. No thromboembolic complications were reported. The 30-day mortality rate was 1.4% and overall hospital mortality 1.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic colorectal operations are still rare (about 1% of all colorectal operations in Germany). Laparoscopic procedures are more common on the left colon and rectum than on the right colon. The surgical complication rate is acceptable, comparable with rates reported by others for open surgery. Cardiopulmonary and thromboembolic complications were rarely seen. Mortality and surgical morbidity rates do not differ significantly among participating centers. A learning curve, reflected by a shortening of the operating time and a somewhat lower conversion rate, was observed over the observation period.

[Laparoscopic colorectal resections: indications, surgical technique and outcome in 410 prospective cases]. / Laparoskopische kolorektale Resektionen: Indikation, Operationstaktik und Ergebnisse bei 410 prospektiv untersuchten Fällen.

UNLABELLED: From April 1993 to August 1997 410 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery for colon and rectal diseases. In the beginning we only operated on patients with benign disorders. Since July 1995 colorectal malignancies have also been resected. A total of 181 patients (47.6%) with benign colorectal diseases were operated on; 116 patients (31%) had diverticulosis, diverticulitis or benign tumor; 26 with rectal prolapse were resected in MIS-technique. In all, 199 patients were treated for colorectal malignancies, 171 (85.9%) with curative intention. RESULTS: Mean operation time was between 60 and 520 min. After 40 operations the learning curve had reduced the operation time significantly. Severe complications appeared in 4.7% of all cases.

[Laparoscopic appendectomy as standard procedure. Technique and outcome in 409 patients]. / Die laparoskopische Appendektomie als Standardverfahren. Technik und Ergebnisse bei 409 Patienten.

UNLABELLED: In the framework of a prospective clinical trial we wanted to show that minimal access surgery as a standard treatment of acute appendicitis leads to good results. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From January 1993 to December 1996 409 patients had a laparoscopic appendectomy in the Surgical Department of Krankenhaus Zehlendorf, Berlin. We treated 252 female (62%) and 157 male (38%). The mean age was 31.5 years (min. 8 years, max. 81 years) The conversion rate was 8% (33 patients). Reasons for conversion were perforation or difficult anatomical conditions. In 189 patients we found additional diagnosis as adhesions, gynecological diseases or chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. RESULTS: The clinical diagnosis sensitivity histological correlated was 83%. The mean operating time was 46 minutes (min. 10, max. 120 minutes). The basis of appendix was routinely carried by loop of catgut in 342 cases. In 23 cases was used the Endo-GIA. Severe postoperative complications were seen in 2%. In 1.3% planned second-look laparoscopy with drainage was performed. The patients stayed in hospital for 5 days in median (min. 1 day, max. 21 days). The rate of wound infections was decreased specially in fat patients.

[Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in routine at a municipal hospital]. / Laparoskopische Kolonchirurgie in der Routine eines Stadtkrankenhauses.

UNLABELLED: The importance of laparoscopic techniques in colorectal surgery as routine service in a municipal hospital is described in a prospective study. PATIENTS AND METHOD: From April 1993 to March 1997 359 patients were operated laparoscopically for colon and rectum diseases in the surgical department of the municipal hospital Zehlendorf Berlin, local area Behring. In the beginning we operated only patients with benign disorders. Since July 1995 patients with colorectal malignancies were resected on the basis of oncological criteria within a multicenter prospective trial. 149 patients (41.5%) were operated for benign colorectal diseases. 93 patients (25.9%) had diverticulosis, diverticulitis or benign tumors. 26 were resected in MIS-technique for rectum prolapse. 180 patients presented with colorectal malignancies and were operated in 153 cases (42.9%) with curative intention. RESULTS: Mean operation time was between 60 and 520 min. Learning curve reduces after 40 operations operation time significantly. Severe complications appeared in 4.5% of all cases.

[Manometric study on the effect of Hedenstedt's selective proximal vagotomy on the lower esophageal sphincter]. / Manometrische Untersuchung zur Wirkung der selektiv proximalen Vagotomie nach Hedenstedt auf den unteren Osophagussphinkter.

A manometric examination of the oesophagus was carried out before and after selective proximal vagotomy according to Hedenstedt in 20 patients in whom operations were performed at the Dept. of Surgery of the Steglitz Medical Center within the period from 1980 to 1982. The resting pressure of the lower oesophageal sphincter could be shown to be unaltered postoperatively (preoperative median 17,5 mm Hg, postoperative 18 mm Hg, p greater than 0,1 non-significant). Likewise, the other manometric findings were normal and postoperatively unaltered. Thus, it was possible to demonstrate that the modification of the vagotomy according to Hedenstedt has no other effect on oesophageal motility than that already known for other types of selective proximal vagotomy.

[Gastroduodenal surgery in patients over 80]. / Gastroduodenale Chirurgie bei Patienten über 80 Jahre.

Between 1969 and 1981 surgery was performed in 118 patients over eighty years old with gastroduodenal diseases. The main indications were carcinomas and ulcers. The combined mortality amounted to 34.8%. One of the main problems of surgery in elder patients turned out to be the simultaneous presence of accompanying diseases. Whenever possible surgery should be performed before the onset of complications.

[Functional evaluation of islet cells following pancreatic duct occlusion--a long-term study]. / Leistungsbilanz der Inselzellen nach Pankreasgangocclusion--ein Langzeitversuch.

The transduodenal occlusion of the pancreatic duct with Prolamin (Ethibloc) was carried out in an experiment with 38 Göttinger minipigs. Occlusion of the pancreatic duct leads to selective atrophy of the excretory pancreatic parenchyma. Up until now it has not been clear whether the endocrine functional capacity of the gland stays intact in a long-term experiment or whether the islands of Langerhans are also altered by the pancreatic duct occlusion. The following tests were carried out by us to determine the endocrine status: 1. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (i.v. GTT); 2. Glucose assimilation analysis after CONARD (K-value); 3. Insulin analysis during i.v. GTT; 4. Intravenous Tolbutamid test. Twelve months after the occlusion, reduced glucose tolerance and a reduction in insulin secretion were detected in the intravenous glucose tolerance test. Glucose assimilation (K-value) was not changed significantly. Fasting blood sugar and basic insulin level remained unchanged. Only a small blood-sugar decrease was measured after selective B-cell stimulation with Tolbutamid. The fibrosclerosis produced by the occlusion of the pancreatic duct with Prolamin also seemed to attack the cells of the islands and lead to their partial destruction.

[Primary tumors of the small intestine (author's transl)]. / Primäre Dünndarmtumoren.

From 1969 to 1979, 19 patients were operated for tumors of the small intestine: 8 were benign and 11 malignant. Of the benign, mesenchymal tumors predominated, the malignant tumors were epithelial. The difficulty of diagnostic confirmation and its effect of the prognosis of the disease are discussed with reference to the literature.