Laparoscopically assisted colorectal anastomose post-Hartmann's procedure.

We present 20 cases (10 men, 10 women) of laparoscopically assisted colorectal anastomose. The patients' mean age was 52.8 years. The mean length of procedure was 130 min. There were two transoperative complications, a rectal perforation with the stapler and an incomplete anastomose. Six (35.2%) patients said they had no postoperative pain. Bowel sounds occurred in a mean time of 18.2 h, flatus in 26.4 h, and bowel movement in an average of 2.5 postoperative days. Liquid diet was started after an average of 1.5 days, and the mean hospital stay was 4 days. There were three (15%) conversions because of excessive pelvic adherence, pelvic neoplastic invasion, and rectal perforation with a stapler. Postoperative complications occurred in seven (41.1%) cases: an incisional hernia, two wound infections, one wound bleeding, an acute renal failure, an undetermined peritonitis, and a small pelvic abscess. No mortality occurred in these cases.