To compare the short-term outcome of total laparoscopic and open loop ileostomy reversal.

A retrospective review was performed for 60 consecutive patients who underwent loop ileostomy reversal between January 2018 to August 2020, at Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College. Twenty-seven patients were treated with total laparoscopic loop ileostomy while 33 patients were open cases. The baseline characteristics, operative outcomes, postoperative recovery and postoperative complications of these patients were identified and retrospectively analyzed.

All patients had been successfully accomplished loop ileostomy reversal without discontinued operation. No perioperative related death cases were found in the whole group. There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics between the two groups. The length of incision in the total laparoscopic surgery group was significantly shorter than that in the traditional open surgery group [(5.7±1.4) cm vs. (7.8±1.1) cm, t=-6.622], and the difference was statistically significant (P＜0.001). There were significant differences between the two groups in the first ground activities [1 (1~1) d vs. 1(1~2) d], first flatus passage [2(1~3) d vs. 2(2~3) d], postoperative hospitalization days [6(5~7) d vs. 7(6~9) d], the postoperative complications [3.7% (1/27) vs. 24.2% (8/33)]. The total operative time of laparoscopic surgery group was longer than that of the traditional open surgery group [(98.0±24.5) min vs. (89.4±17.5) min], but the difference was not statistically significant. (P＞0.05)

This retrospective study demonstrated that total laparoscopic loop ileostomy reversal might be a safe and feasible procedure, with a lower postoperative complications and a shorter postoperative hospitalization time.