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Minimally invasive surgery of the colon and rectum (also known as laparoscopic surgery) requires advanced surgical skills. Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. is one of a select groups of medical centers that routinely performs the procedures.
The Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery is staffed by surgeons who have completed training in general surgery as well as advanced training in the treatment of colon and rectal problems.
Mayo Clinic colon and rectal surgeons have achieved national and international recognition for technical innovation in colorectal laparoscopic surgery. The group performs 150 to 200 laparoscopic procedures each year.
At Mayo Clinic, almost all colorectal operations may be done as laparoscopic procedures, but may not be possible or appropriate in some patients. The decision regarding a laparoscopic approach is made by the surgeon.
Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., offers an integrated, multidisciplinary team of specialists to diagnose and treat conditions of the rectum and colon. In most cases, patients are diagnosed and treatment, including surgery, is begun in three to four days.
Colon and rectal surgeons work closely with gastroenterologists to rule out diseases with similar symptoms. Determining the correct diagnosis is essential for treatment to be effective. Mayo Clinic's Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology is highly acclaimed and the largest of its kind in the United States.
During laparoscopic procedures, surgeons rely on a laparoscope — a pencil-thin instrument with its own lighting system and miniature video camera. Only small incisions are needed to insert the miniature camera and instruments to perform the surgery.
Mayo Clinic offers many different applications of this technique, including segmental colectomy, total proctocolectomy and ileal pouch anal anastomosis.
Mayo Clinic has been performing laparoscopic colon surgery since 1992 and has performed more than 850 cases since that time.
Mayo Clinic monitors outcomes for its patients by registering all surgical patients into a database registry.
Outcomes for Laparoscopic Colectomy (compared to open surgery)*
| Days of IV narcotics – 3 | (25% reduction) |
| Days oral analgesias – 1 | (50% reduction) |
| Days in hospital – 5 | (20% reduction) |
| Operative mortality – 0.5% | (same as open) |
| Post-operative complications – 19% | (same as open) |
| Cancer-free survival – 84% | (same as open) |
* From N Engl J Med 2004; 359:2050-2059
Outcomes for Laparoscopic Colectomy in the Elderly (average 81 yrs)
(compared to open)*
| Days of narcotics – 2.7 | (50% reduction) |
| Days until bowel function – 3.9 | (35% reduction) |
| Days in hospital – 6.5 | (37% reduction) |
| Overall morbidity rate – 14% | (58% reduction) |
| Rate of nursing home/visiting nurse utilization – 5% | (80% reduction) |
* From Dis Colon Rectum 2000; 43:326-332
Mayo Clinic was the principal institution participating in a multi center randomized trial to compare five-year cancer survival rates following laparoscopic or open colectomy for colon cancer. See study results.
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