Fast track surgery management at rectal cancer pati̇ents

Currently, rectal cancer constitutes a significant part of cancer related deaths and health expenditure. As a result of population growth, easier access to health resources and formation of social consciousness, an increasing number of patients are diagnosed at earlier ages. Hence, difficulties arise in terms of economical resources and limited hospital capacity. Many centers still prefer traditional procedures in the treatment of rectal cancer. The idea of Fast Track Surgery has been revealed as a result of the quest for how to treat patients more quickly and economically without increasing surgery related mortality and morbidity rates in last 10 years. The purpose of this study is to discuss the results of fast track surgery method on patients with rectal cancer in our clinic since 2006. in our clinic, a total of 46 patients with rectal cancer were treated with fast track surgical method between january 2006 and december 2009 (group 2). Conventional methods were preffered to 26 patients between january 2004 and december 2009 (group 1). These two patient groups were compared in terms of postoperative morbidity, mortality and hospital stay. Morbidity rates were %42,3 in group 1 and %32,6 in group 2, mortality rate was %10,3 in group 1 and no mortality recorded in group 2. Although there are proportionally lower mortality and morbidity, this situation is not statistically significant (p=0,45 ve p=0,054). The average length of stay in hospital was determined 10,5 days in group 1 and 7,3 days in group 2. The difference between these two groups are statistically significant (p=0,009). As a result, we can claim that fast track surgical procedure performed in our clinic in rectal cancer surgery decreased hospital stay without increasing mortality and morbidity rates. The most important limitation of our study was to perform open surgery; upon entry into routine practice of laparoscopic surgery in rectal cancer surgery, much favorable rates can be obtained.