What to ask if you are considering laparoscopic colorectal surgery
- Do you perform minimally invasive colon surgery?
- How many laparoscopic colon operations have you performed?
Based upon the COST trial, pre-requisite experience should include at least 20 laparoscopic colorectal resections for benign colon disease or metastatic colon cancer before using the technique to treat curable cancer.
- Have you received advanced training in laparoscopic surgical techniques?
- Who preceptored you and how many cases?
- Has your training been registered with the ALS/ACPGBI database?
- What have you seen in terms of patient outcomes?
- What is the most common complication you have encountered?
- Am I a candidate for a laparoscopic colon procedure?
- What are the benefits of “minimally invasive” colon surgery?
- What are the risks associated with this procedure?
- What will my recovery time be like following this procedure?
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