Postoperative recuperation: Relation to the extent of endoscopic surgery

Ninety patients undergoing a total of 92 endoscopic procedures were assessed regarding their subjective recovery times, their delays in returning to their places of employment, the duration of analgesic use, and their inhospital stays. A significant association (P < 0.05) between recuperation parameters and the extent of the intra-abdominal surgery at laparoscopy was observed. A weak association also was noted between the number of incisions performed, the duration of surgery, and postoperative recuperation. Nonetheless, even the most radical endoscopic procedures required considerably less recuperation time when compared with laparotomies. With the out-of-work period reduced 5- to 6-fold, obese individuals appeared to tolerate these procedures as well as their thin counterparts.