Laparoscopic rectal surgery in the elderly: clinical outcomes compared to open surgery

Background The treatment of extraperitoneal cancer of the rectum (ERC) has been greatly improved by the advent of the technique of total mesorectal excision(TME) [1] and the combination of chemo-and radiotherapy in neoadjuvant treatment. Since the introduction of laparoscopic surgery in the early nineties, the improvements of both the surgical techniques of laparoscopic instruments have allowed us to perform many operations for ERC through a laparoscopic approach. The aim of this study was to evaluate the short and long-term clinical outcomes in patients treated with Laparoscopic (L.S.) or Open Surgery (O. S.) for the treatment of ERC.