Laparoscopic colorectal surgery in Chile

The development of laparoscopic colorectal surgery began 20 years ago; however it took several years before gaining its acceptance by the international surgical community. The first report in Chile was published in 1995. However, were necessary many years, until the middle of this decade, to know the first prospective series experiences. Out of these reports, no reliable data exist regarding the development of laparoscopic colorectal surgery in Chile, related to the number of centers performing laparoscopic colorectal surgery or the number of procedures performed. For record these data, a standardized questionnaire was send to colorectal chairmans of all hospitals that had reported to be developing laparoscopic colorectal surgery in our country. Ten of 15 hospitals responded to the survey. Most of the procedures performed were hemicolectomies, principally for cancer and diverticular disease. The average conversion rate was 7% and hospital stay was 5 days. Morbidity and mortality rates were 12% and 0.4% respectively. In the last year was seen an increase in the number of laparoscopic procedures in relation to the previous period. In conclusion, laparoscopic colorectal surgery is a recent technique in Chile, which is being implemented progressively, with good overall results.