A new technique of laparoscopic surgery for rectal disease

Laparoscopic rectal surgery is a technique that has to be done in a narrow space: the pelvis. If an immoderate operation is performed with a difficult view, for example in female where the field is disturbed by uterus, it is possible to produce organ trauma or an unexpected bleeding. Taking these problems in mind, we performed laparoscopic surgery in 44 cases of rectal disease with several techniques which we have invented. In these cases either the uterus or the rectum was retracted in the narrow space, and if an anterior resection was to be done, the tape was tied tightly around the rectum below the tumor to avoid touching the tumor and leaving adequate vascular irrigation to the remnant rectum. With the use of our techniques, we did not have female intestinal injury or unexpected bleeding. In addition laparoscopic anterior resection of rectum did not cause any intestinal injury, or unexpected bleeding or anastomotic leakage; also we did not have any local tumor recurrence. It is our belief that these techniques can decrease complications that traumatize the grasping intestine with intestinal forceps and prevent implantation in the anastomosis. This technical report validate that our technique modifications for rectal laparoscopic surgery are useful when a surgeon has to work in a narrow space.