BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare the lung functions, complication rates, and durations of the hospital and intensive care unit stays of patients who had undergone laparoscopic colorectal resection and open colorectal resection.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this study, data were collected prospectively and then evaluated retrospectively. The study was carried out between January 2015 and November 2016 in 2 university hospitals. Pulmonary function tests (PFT) and chest radiography were performed in all patients preoperatively. In the postoperative period, PFT was performed in all patients but chest radiography was obtained only in patients for whom it was clinically indicated.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding their preoperative PFT parameters (p>0.05 for all variables). When compared to their preoperative PFT results, FEV1 and FVC values were determined to be significantly reduced on the 5th postoperative day (p≤0.05) in both groups. When the postoperative 5th day PFT results of the Laparoscopy (LG) and Open group (OG) were compared, there were no significant differences (for all variables p>0.05). Consolidation developed in 11 patients, all of whom were in the OG, but this result was not associated with surgical procedure (p=0.080). The median duration of the postoperative intensive care stay was 1 day in the LG, whereas it was 2 days in the OG (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: In terms of pulmonary functions, both laparoscopic surgery and open surgery procedure have the same results. However, in terms of hospital stay and pulmonary infections, laparoscopy is more reliable.

Keywords: Colorectal Surgery, Laparoscopy, Respiratory Function Tests