Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques for Colorectal Cancer
Summary
Minimally invasive surgery for colorectal cancer has become a cornerstone of modern oncological care, offering reduced postoperative pain, shorter hospital stays and faster return to function while maintaining oncological principles. Laparoscopic colectomy and proctectomy, introduced in the 1990s, have demonstrated equivalent disease-free and overall survival to open surgery, with the added benefits of smaller incisions and less blood loss. Robotic-assisted platforms have further refined these techniques by providing three-dimensional visualisation, tremor filtration and articulated instruments, facilitating pelvic dissection and precise tumour excision. Recent innovations include intracorporeal anastomosis to minimise incision size, transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) to improve access in low rectal tumours and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathways to streamline perioperative care. Collectively, these advances have expanded the applicability of minimally invasive approaches to complex resections, emphasising their global impact on patient outcomes and health-care resource utilisation.
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Minimally Invasive Surgical Techniques for Colorectal Cancer publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in minimally invasive surgical techniques for colorectal cancer across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Laparoscopic surgery: A minimally invasive technique using small abdominal incisions and a camera to guide specialised instruments.
Robotic-assisted surgery: A technique employing robotic platforms to enhance dexterity, precision and three-dimensional visualisation in minimally invasive procedures.
Total mesorectal excision (TME): Surgical removal of the rectum and surrounding mesorectal envelope to achieve complete tumour excision and clear circumferential margins.
Anastomosis: The surgical reconnection of two segments of bowel following tumour resection.
Conversion to open surgery: Intraoperative decision to change from a minimally invasive approach to an open surgical procedure due to technical or safety considerations.
References
- Intracorporeal versus extracorporeal anastomosis in right hemicolectomy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Surgical Endoscopy (2016).
- Ten-year outcomes of a randomised trial of laparoscopic versus open surgery for colon cancer. Surgical Endoscopy (2016).
- Exploring and adjusting for potential learning effects in ROLARR: a randomised controlled trial comparing robotic-assisted vs. standard laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer resection. Trials (2018).
- Robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery versus conventional laparoscopic surgery in randomized controlled trials: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE (2018).
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