Letter to the Editor
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2022. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Endosc. Nov 16, 2022; 14(11): 731-736
Published online Nov 16, 2022. doi: 10.4253/wjge.v14.i11.731
Minimally invasive colorectal surgery learning curve
Serafino Vanella, Enrico Coppola Bottazzi, Giancarlo Farese, Rosa Murano, Adele Noviello, Tommaso Palma, Maria Godas, Francesco Crafa
Serafino Vanella, Enrico Coppola Bottazzi, Giancarlo Farese, Rosa Murano, Adele Noviello, Tommaso Palma, Maria Godas, Francesco Crafa, Department of General and Oncology Surgery, A.O.R.N. San Giuseppe Moscati, Avellino 83100, Italy
Author contributions: Vanella S wrote and edited the manuscript; Crafa F reviewed the discussion in the manuscript; Bottazzi EC, Farese G, Murano R, Noviello A, Palma T and Godas M revised the manuscript and provided recommendations for the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest associated with any of the authors.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Serafino Vanella, MD, PhD, Surgical Oncologist, Department of General and Oncology Surgery, A.O.R.N. San Giuseppe Moscati, Avellino 83100, Italy. nekroma@yahoo.it
Received: August 1, 2022
Peer-review started: August 1, 2022
First decision: September 26, 2022
Revised: October 1, 2022
Accepted: October 31, 2022
Article in press: October 31, 2022
Published online: November 16, 2022
Abstract

The learning curve in minimally invasive colorectal surgery is a constant subject of discussion in the literature. Discordant data likely reflects the varying degrees of each surgeon’s experience in colorectal, laparoscopic or robotic surgery. Several factors are necessary for a successful minimally invasive colorectal surgery training program, including: Compliance with oncological outcomes; dissection along the embryological planes; constant presence of an expert tutor; periodic discussion of the morbidity and mortality rate; and creation of a dedicated, expert team.

Keywords: Learning curve, Colorectal surgery, Laparoscopy, Robotic surgery, Minimally invasive surgery, Cusum method

Core Tip: Minimally invasive techniques, such as laparoscopy and robotic surgery, are increasingly used in the treatment of colorectal cancer. The learning curve for minimally invasive surgery is not well-defined and subject to several influences. A successful operation depends on the preparation of the surgical team to imagine and contemplate the specific details for each step. The principal objective of treating the pathologic condition through the appropriate extent of resection must be clearly defined.