Most intestinal surgeries can be performed using the laparoscopic technique. These include surgeries for Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulitis, cancer and rectal prolapse. In the past there had been concern raised about the safety of laparoscopic surgery for cancer operations. Recently several studies involving hundreds of patients have shown that laparoscopic surgery is safe for properly selected colorectal, small bowel, esophageal and pancreatic cancers and provides benefit in terms of improved recovery after surgery and low morbidity.
