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Transanal endoscopic surgery for rectal tumors
D Arribas del Amo1, J M Ramírez Rodríguez, V Aguilella Diago
1Department of Surgery B, University of Zaragoza Hospital, Spain.
Objective:
To report our results with local excision by transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to treat 42 cases of rectal lesions (29 adenomas and 13 carcinomas).
Methods:
Prospective, descriptive study. Sex distribution: 55% men, 45% women, mean age 65 years (range: 17-84 years).
Symptoms:
rectal bleeding 67%, diarrhea 23%.
Surgical Technique:
mucosectomy 6 cases, full-thickness excision 36 cases. Average follow-up: 11 months (range: 1-36 months).
Results:
We analyzed operating time (average 85 min; range: 25-180 min), bleeding (average 100 ml, range 10-350 ml), distance of the tumor from the anal verge (lower tumor margin: mean, 8.8 cm; range, 1-20 cm; distal tumor margin: mean, 12.9 cm; range, 5-22 cm), tumor size (mean, 3.9 cm; range, 2-10 cm), postoperative hospital stay (average, 4 days; range, 2-15 days), morbidity (hemorrhage 1 case; perforation, 1 case), mortality (0) and follow-up (temporary incontinence to flatus in 6 cases, 1 recurrence of carcinoma treated with abdominoperineal resection, 2 recurrences of adenoma and 2 new adenomas).
Conclusions:
TEM is a safe technique for the treatment of rectal lesions. Low morbidity and recurrence rates and short hospital stays make TEM a procedure of choice when local rectal surgery is indicated.