Fast-track surgery combined with laparoscopy could improve postoperative recovery of low-risk rectal cancer patients: a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objective In this study we aimed to assess the feasibility and safety of fast-track surgery (FTS) combined with laparoscopy for treating patients with rectal cancer and compare the results with those of the conventional perioperative intervention group. Methods A total of 120 patients with rectal cancer were prospectively randomly assigned to the FTS combined with laparoscopy group and the conventional perioperative intervention plus laparoscopy group from November 2011 to November 2012. All patients received radical anterior resection with total mesorectal excision. Their baseline characteristics and the perioperative outcomes were recorded for analyses. Results Compared with the conventional perioperative intervention group, the fast-track protocol combined with laparoscopy could shorten the time to the first flatus (53.44 ± 23.64 h vs 67.85 ± 20.12 h, P = 0.001) and first defecation (65.23 ± 22.24 h vs 86.98 ± 24.85 h, P = 0.000) after operation, accelerate the decrease of white blood cell count (P < 0.05), inhibit body temperature augmentation (P < 0.05) and reduce postoperative complication rate (16.9% vs 3.5%, P = 0.030). In addition, the length of postoperative stay was also shortened (5.05 ± 1.38 days vs 6.98 ± 2.26 days, P = 0.000). The medical cost of hospitalization was also reduced in the FTS group. Conclusion FTS in combination with laparoscopy may accelerate the clinical recovery of patients with rectal cancer after surgery.