Ambulatory Colectomy for Cancer: Results from a Prospective Bicentric Study of 177 Patients

Background: The implementation of an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery programme after colectomy reduces postoperative morbidity and shortens the length of hospital stay.

Objective: To evaluate the short and midterm outcomes of ambulatory colectomy for cancer.

Methods: This was a two-centre, observational study of a database maintained prospectively between 2013 and 2021. Short-term outcome measures were complications, admissions, unplanned consultations and readmission rates. Midterm outcome measures were the delay between surgery and initiation of adjuvant chemotherapy, length of disease-free survival and 2-year disease-free survival rate.

Results: A total of 177 patients were included. The overall morbidity rate was 15% and the mortality rate was 0%. The admission rate was 13% and 11% patients left hospital within 24 h of surgery. The readmission rate was 9% and all readmissions occurred before postoperative Day 4. Eight patients underwent repeat surgery because of anastomotic fistula (n = 7) or anastomotic ileocolic bleeding (n = 1). These patients had an uneventful recovery. Sixty-one patients required adjuvant chemotherapy with a median delay between surgery and chemotherapy initiation of 35 days.

Conclusions: Ambulatory colectomy for cancer is feasible and safe. Adjuvant chemotherapy could be initiated before 6 weeks postsurgery. The ambulatory approach may be a step forward to further improve morbidity and oncologic prognosis.