A trial looking at conventional versus keyhole surgery and ways to improve recovery, for people with bowel cancer (EnROL)

This trial compared conventional surgery with keyhole surgery for bowel cancer, when both types of surgery were carried out alongside ways to improve recovery. This trial was supported by Cancer Research UK.

When this trial was done, surgery for bowel cancer was usually ‘open surgery’. This involves making a cut in the tummy (abdomen). Keyhole surgery is done through much smaller cuts in the abdomen. The surgeon uses a camera (laparoscope) to see inside the body to remove the cancer. Although the keyhole operation takes longer than open surgery, patients don’t spend as long recovering and there are fewer side effects. Research has shown that keyhole surgery is as good as conventional surgery for curing bowel cancer.

Surgeons sometimes use an ‘enhanced recovery programme (ERP)’ alongside surgery. ERP looks at your care before, during and after your operation to help you recover better and get you back to normal activities sooner. The programme includes pain control, getting people up and about sooner and getting them to eat and drink sooner after surgery.

The researchers in this trial are looking at an ERP alongside open surgery to see if it works as well as keyhole surgery at helping people to recover quicker from surgery.

The main aims of the study were to find out

• How people rated their levels of tiredness after surgery

• The number of days people stayed in hospital after surgery and how their recovery went