[Minimally invasive surgery (MIC) in the area of the colon and rectum: technique of minimally invasive colorectal surgery].

Minimally invasive surgery is gaining increased importance in colorectal surgery. Since 1993 we have performed 378 minimally invasive colorectal procedures (appendzcetomy excluded): right-sided (n = 70) and left-sided (n = 160) hemicolectomy, anterior rectal resections (n = 72), and colostomy (n = 12), Hartmann procedure (n = 17), take-down operation (n = 25), rectopexy (n = 21) and coloproctomucosectomy (n = 2). The indications were diverticulitis (n = 147), benign tumor (n = 40), malignant tumor (n = 135), rectal prolapse (n = 21), Crohn's disease (n = 8), intestinal diversion (n = 25), colonic perforation (n = 2). Postoperative complications were observed in 21% of cases; anastomotic leak developed in 4%; mortality was 0.5%. In keeping with the current literature our data show that in the majority of cases surgical therapy of colorectal disease can be performed in minimally invasive fashion.