Assessment of the risk of bowel obstruction after laparoscopic vs. open surgery for rectal cancer: A systematic review

This systematic review aimed to evaluate the incidence of adhesion-related readmissions and surgery for adhesive bowel obstruction (BO) in patients who underwent laparoscopic or open surgery for rectal cancer. Laparoscopic surgery is generally believed to be associated with a lower rate of postoperative adhesion formation compared to open surgery. A thorough and systematic search was conducted across multiple comprehensive databases to identify relevant studies for inclusion in this systematic review. The purpose of this search was to ensure a comprehensive and unbiased selection of studies to provide a robust foundation for the subsequent analysis. In this review, a total of 10 studies were involved on bowel obstruction risk in laparoscopic and open surgery for rectal cancer. This study consistently showed that laparoscopic surgery carried a lower risk of postoperative bowel obstruction compared to open surgery. Six studies in the review supported this finding. Laparoscopic surgery shows a significant reduction in adhesive bowel obstruction compared to open surgery, as indicated by this systematic review. However, more well-designed randomized trials involving diverse patients are needed to confirm these benefits. Further research is necessary to gain a clearer understanding of the advantages of laparoscopic surgery in reducing the risk of bowel obstruction.