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Is There Still a Role for Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery (HALS)?

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Current Common Dilemmas in Colorectal Surgery

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Abstract

Laparoscopy has been widely adopted for a variety of abdominal operations, and laparoscopic colorectal surgery has been shown to be oncologically equivalent and superior in terms of perioperative pain, length of stay, and decreased complications compared to traditional open surgery. However, laparoscopic colon surgery is fraught with a steep learning curve, longer operative times, and high conversion rates compared to traditional open surgery. Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) is an alternative to laparoscopic colon surgery which has been shown in several randomized controlled trials to have similar perioperative outcomes with decreased operative times and lower conversion rates. While some consider HALS an intermediate option for those developing the skills or volume in laparoscopic colorectal surgery, this chapter discusses how HALS colorectal surgery can be utilized as an effective first option with advantages over open surgery and similar short-term benefits seen with straight laparoscopic colorectal surgery. This is especially the case in the context of complicated operations, extended resections, and operations conducted in overweight or obese patients. The authors firmly believe that the HALS approach is a valuable technique for the minimally invasive colorectal surgeon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, Division of Colorectal Surgery, Medical College of Wisconsin, Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, Milwaukee, WI, USA

    Nicholas Gerard Berger, Timothy J. Ridolfi & Kirk A. Ludwig

Authors
  1. Nicholas Gerard Berger
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  2. Timothy J. Ridolfi
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  3. Kirk A. Ludwig
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kirk A. Ludwig .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. London Health Sciences Centre, University Hospital, London, Ontario, Canada

    Christopher M. Schlachta

  2. Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Patricia Sylla

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Berger, N.G., Ridolfi, T.J., Ludwig, K.A. (2018). Is There Still a Role for Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery (HALS)?. In: Schlachta, C., Sylla, P. (eds) Current Common Dilemmas in Colorectal Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70117-2_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-70117-2_19

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-70116-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-70117-2

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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