Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) is a surgical option to preserve fecal continence in selected low rectal cancers

Abstract

Despite its existence for more than 40 years, the TEM method has not become widespread. The main reasons are the high acquisition costs, the sophisticated technology and alternative procedures (especially radical resection procedures), which provide greater oncological safety. However, avoiding major abdominal surgery with the creation of a stoma and higher complication rates can outweigh the higher risk of recurrence for some patients. We examined the results using V-TEM with reduced acquisition costs in the resection of adenomas and carcinomas and discussed its importance by literature . From 2003 to 2019, 154 patients with 170 findings were operated by V-TEM technology. Data on the operation and follow-up were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The median age was 67 years, 89 patients were male and 65 female. V-TEM was performed on 79 carcinomas, 77 adenomas and 14 other findings. The complication rate was 21.2%. R0 resection was achieved in 78.8%. The adenoma recurrence rate was 7.3%, the overall recurrence rate for carcinomas 11.9%, local recurrences were observed in 6.8%. The disease-specific survival is 100% at 5 years and 94.2% at ten years. The successful use of TEM in adenomas and early carcinomas is undisputed. When treating carcinomas from a T1 high risk stage using TEM, recurrence rates higher than 10% must be expected. Better results can be achieved with radical procedures, this is why they are considered the therapy of choice in these cases. However, there are no differences in terms of survival rates and TEM offers proven better postoperative quality of life. In particular, the combination of neoadjuvant procedures with TEM delivered promising results in more advanced stages. Further studies on TEM and the possibility of lower acquisition costs through modification to V-TEM could make the method more popular in the future.