Tips, Tricks, and Technique for Laparoscopic Colectomy

In the United States, there are in excess of 300,000 operations for diseases of the colon yearly. Minimally invasive colectomy became a reality early in the 21st century with the advent of laparoscopic colectomy. The goal of minimally invasive colectomy is to improve postoperative pain control, decrease length of hospital stay, decrease recovery time, decrease complications, and thereby decrease the cost of colon resections. There are many facets to laparoscopic colectomy, including completely laparoscopic approach versus hand-assisted approach and the medial versus lateral approach. These decisions are often based on the disease process, surgeon preference and comfort with technique, and patient considerations such as weight and prior operations. This article outlines the pros and cons of each of these factors.