Long-term and short-term outcomes of laparoscopic versus open resection following tube decompression for obstructive colorectal cancer: a single-center retrospective study

Purpose The benefits of laparoscopic surgery over open surgery are well documented; however, the suitability of laparoscopic surgery for obstructive colorectal cancer is still controversial. The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the clinical benefits of laparoscopic surgery vs. open surgery for obstructive colorectal cancer after tube decompression. Methods We analyzed the outcomes of patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery vs. open surgery for curative resection after tube decompression for obstructive colorectal cancer at our hospital between January, 2007 and March, 2018. Results This study comprised 67 patients: 29 patients who underwent open surgery and 38 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery. The morbidity within 30 days after surgery was comparable between the groups. The 3-year overall survival rates of the open and laparoscopic groups were 83.3 and 79.4%, respectively (p = 0.6244), and the 3-year disease-free survival rates were 59.3 and 71.2%, respectively (p = 0.3200). Multivariate analysis showed that nodal stage (p = 0.021) was an independent prognostic factor for OS and sex (p = 0.010) and side-ness (p = 0.048) were independent prognostic factors for DFS. Conclusion If adequate decompression is achieved, laparoscopic resection following tube decompression for obstructive colorectal cancer can be a safe alternative to open surgery.