Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Colectomy Improves Perioperative Outcomes Without Increasing Operative Time Compared to the Open Approach: a National Analysis of 8791 Patients.

INTRODUCTION: Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is often used in procedures too complex for completely minimally invasive approaches. However, there are concerns for whether this hybrid approach abrogates perioperative benefits of the completely minimally invasive technique.

METHODS: We queried the 2012-2013 National Surgery Quality Improvement Program for adults undergoing elective HALS or open colectomy (OC). After propensity matching, short-term outcomes were compared. Subset analysis was performed for segmental resections. Multivariate analysis was used to determine predictors of utilizing either approach.

RESULTS: This query included 8791 patients (OC 2707, HALS 6084). Predictors of HALS included male sex (OR 1.17, p = 0.006), increasing BMI (OR 1.01, p = 0.02), benign indication (OR 1.48, p < 0.001), and total abdominal colectomy (OR 10.39, p < 0.001). Younger age, black race, ASA class ≥3, inflammatory bowel disease, and low pelvic anastomosis were predictive of OC (all p < 0.05). HALS demonstrated reduced overall complications (p < 0.001), wound complications (p < 0.001), anastomotic leak (p = 0.014), transfusion (p < 0.001), postoperative ileus (p < 0.001), length of stay (p < 0.001), and readmission (p < 0.001) without increased operative time. For segmental resection, HALS demonstrated reduced overall complications, wound complications, respiratory complications, postoperative ileus, anastomotic leak, transfusion, length of stay, and readmissions (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Compared to OC, HALS demonstrates improved perioperative outcomes without increased operative time.