A New Surgical Device for Anterograde Intraoperative Rectal Washout

Colorectal cancer is the fourth most diffuse cause of death in the world and local recurrence is associated with a reduced long-term life expectancy, with a reduced quality of life. Rectal washout at the anastomosis site leads to a statistically significant reduction of local recurrences.

We developed the idea of a new laparoscopic stapler with an integrated washout system that could decontaminate the rectal stump before resection, without the need to enlarge the standard surgical incision or even to distort the incision site, closing the rectal stump just below the inferior part of the cancer, and then proceeding with the resection and stapling of the distal part of the tumor. Combined with these canonical functionalities, the new device, equipped with a patented washout system (patent number EP 3103401A1) will also allow to inject in the closed bowel a physiologic saline liquid.

In force of the mechanical action of the liquid injected, carcinogenic exfoliated cells eventually floating in the affected region of the colonic lumen will be expelled through the anal orifice. The intraoperative rectal washout, both in minimally invasive and in traditional open surgery, thus becomes a simple, effective, and reproducible procedure.

We describe the technical features and the possible clinical applications of a potentially new surgical laparoscopic stapler coupled with an integrated irrigation system. We have patented the system and we are developing a prototype with the aim to start an experimental pilot study.