Short- and Long-Term Outcomes of Laparoscopic and Open Resection in the Surgical Treatment of Dolichosigmoid

Dolichosigmoid is a congenital or acquired anatomical abnormality characterized by elongation, dilatation, and excessive looping of the sigmoid colon. It is one of the major causes of chronic constipation (coprostasis), abdominal pain, intestinal obstruction, and sigmoid volvulus. When conservative treatment fails, surgical resection of the sigmoid colon, and in selected cases left hemicolectomy or subtotal colectomy, is considered the most effective therapeutic option. This article presents a review of open-access scientific publications published between 2002 and 2026, comparing the short- and long-term outcomes of conventional open surgery, laparoscopic resection, robot-assisted surgery, single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS), and transvaginal hybrid Natural Orifice Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES) in the treatment of dolichosigmoid and related sigmoid colon disorders. The analysis focused on operative time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, postoperative complication rates, readmission, long-term functional and oncological outcomes, and economic considerations. The findings indicate that minimally invasive techniques, particularly laparoscopic resection, provide significant advantages over open surgery by reducing postoperative recovery time, shortening hospitalization, and decreasing complication rates. However, each surgical approach has specific technical requirements, a distinct learning curve, and economic implications that should be carefully considered when selecting the optimal surgical strategy for individual patients.