Colon Cancer

Minimally Invasive (Laparoscopic) Surgery for Colon Cancer

Physicians at Mayo Clinic have been at the forefront of the study and use of minimally invasive (laparoscopic) surgery for colon cancer since the technique was introduced in 1991. Mayo Clinic surgeons have performed more than 1,000 minimally invasive surgeries to remove cancerous portions of the colon.

Physicians at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota have reported extensively in the medical literature about the results of their research involving this technique. A study published in the May 14, 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported that when performed by experienced surgeons, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery is a safe and effective alternative to standard open surgery for most patients with cancer that is confined to the colon.

How It Works

Surgeons use a tiny camera inserted through a half-inch-long hole in the skin to see harmful growths in the colon. The images from the camera are displayed on a monitor in the operating room. Other tools, inserted through other small holes in the skin, are used to remove diseased sections of the colon and to sew together the remaining tissue.

Sometimes the diseased sections are removed (resected) and the healthy sections reconnected outside the body (as illustrated). Sometimes only one of these steps (resection and reconnection) is done outside the body.

Advantages of Minimally Invasive Surgery for Colon Cancer

• Smaller incisions — two inches or less, compared with several inches for traditional surgery
• Shorter hospital stay — four to five days versus five to eight days
• Less post-operative pain
• Quicker overall recovery — one month versus six to eight weeks

Select Publications

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic doctors on minimally invasive (laparoscopic) colon cancer surgery on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.