No abstract

Combined endolaparoscopic surgery appears to be a safe and effective alternative to colectomy in all parts of the colon in patients who have benign polyps not removable with colonoscopy alone.

Posthysterectomy adhesions to the sigmoid colon make colonoscopy more difficult and more painful. These adverse effects are not present in hysterectomized women who have undergone sigmoid resection.

Patients identified as having Crohn's disease need to be carefully reevaluated because some of these patients may actually have surgery-associated complications and can have a favorable long-term outcome after redo ileal pouch-anal anastomosis.

The authors believe it is feasible to offer elective laparoscopic sigmoid colectomy to all patients with symptomatic diverticular disease despite preoperative risk factors.