Abstract

Background: Conversion to open surgery of laparoscopic procedures is not in essence a complication, but invalidates the benefits of laparoscopy. Aim: To identify the predictive factors for conversion in laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Material and Methods: Revision of medical records of all patients with colorectal disease operated using a laparoscopic approach, from 1998 to 2010. Gender, age, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, body mass index (BMI), previous abdominal surgery, elective/urgency procedure, benign/malignant disease, type of resection and surgeon experience were recorded. A logistic regression model was done to determine which variables were predictive for conversion to open surgery. Results: The medical records of 582 patients aged 57