Surgery For Low Rectal Cancer Research Articles

Transanal total mesorectal excision and adverse conditions for laparoscopic total mesorectal excision

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is an alternative technique for rectal surgery that could facilitate the mobilization and the distal transection of the rectum. Our objective was to analyze whether the presence of factors affecting the difficulty of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) could affect surgical and oncological outcomes of TaTME for mid and low rectal cancer. 20 patients (13 male, 7 female) with a mean age of 66.5 years (range 55.5–75.7) and mid–low rectal cancer were prospectively submitted to TaTME. Every TaTME procedure was performed by two teams of experienced surgeons working simultaneously. Adverse conditions for laparoscopic TME were considered to be male gender, obesity, benign prostatic hypertrophy, low rectal cancer, pT3-T4, tumor size >5 cm, and neoadjuvant therapy. These factors were matched to surgical (morbidity, operative time, conversion rate) and pathological (quality of mesorectum, circumferential resection margin) outcomes. Male gender was associated with longer operative time (285 vs. 240 min, p = 0.031). There were no significant associations among the rest of the analyzed factors complicating laparoscopic TME and pathological and surgical outcomes of TaTME. Multivariate analysis showed that male gender was independently associated with operative time (β = 0.18 OR 1.019 CI95%:1.001–1.037; p = 0.042). TaTME seems to be more difficult in males but not in obesity, benign prostatic hypertrophy, low rectal cancer, pT3-T4, tumor size >5 cm, or neoadjuvant therapy. TaTME could be considered an alternative surgery for low rectal cancer in the presence of these factors affecting laparoscopic TME.

Short-term outcomes of laparoscopic intersphincteric resection with intraoperative radiotherapy using low-energy X-rays for primary locally advanced low rectal cancer: a single center experience

BackgroundEven with the augmentative application of anal-preservation surgery in low rectal cancer, the role and indications of laparoscopic intersphincteric resection (Lap ISR) are still under debate, especially for T3 or node-positive (T3N0M0, T1–3N+M0) cancer, mainly due to the oncological safety and functional outcomes. INTRABEAM (Carl Zeiss, Germany) intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) using low-energy X-rays features in accurate irradiation, less exposure, and reduced complications. Taking advantages of Lap ISR and INTRABEAM IORT, this innovative approach aims to increase the probability of the anal preservation with acceptable postoperative outcomes.Materials and methodsFrom December 2015 to August 2019, we retrospectively analyzed the short-term outcomes of 12 patients evaluated preoperatively with T3 or node-positive (T3N0M0, T1–3N+M0) primary locally advanced low rectal cancer. They all had received Lap ISR and INTRABEAM IORT with a dose of 16–18 Gy applied by an applicator through the anus (natural orifice). Then, with no pre- or postoperative radiotherapy given, the patients were suggested to receive 6–8 cycles of the XELOX chemotherapy regimen (oxaliplatin, 130 mg/m2 and capecitabine, 1000 mg/m2).ResultsAll patients achieved R0 resection. The median radiation time was 27 min and 15 s, and the mean radiative dose was 17.3 Gy (range 16–18 Gy). The median follow-up time was 18.5 months (range 3–45 months). Two patients experienced local recurrence. Two male patients experienced anastomotic stenosis. Furthermore, one of them experienced perianal abscess and the other one experienced pulmonary metastasis after refusing to receive chemotherapy. One female patient with internal anal sphincter invasion experienced distant metastases to the liver and gluteus maximus muscle 35 months after IORT. No acute radiation injuries or symptoms were observed. Although they experienced a reduction in anal function, every patient was satisfied with the postoperative outcomes.ConclusionsFor patients evaluated preoperatively with T3 or node-positive (T3N0M0, T1–3N+M0) primary locally advanced low rectal cancer, Lap ISR with INTRABEAM IORT may be a safe and feasible approach for anal preservation without compromising oncological outcomes.

Manometric assessment of anorectal function after transanal total mesorectal excision.

Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) is common following surgery for mid and low rectal cancer. Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) involves intraoperative stretching of the anal sphincter while an anal single port is placed, which can potentially further disturb anorectal function. The aim of our study was to systematically assess anal function after TaTME using anorectal manometry and questionnaires. Patients who had TaTME for rectal cancer at our institution were prospectively assessed by means of anorectal manometry and the standard LARS score. The primary endpoint was the resting pressure to assess internal sphincter damage and the secondary endpoints were squeeze pressure to assess external anal sphincter and analysis of correlation between LARS score and these two manometry parameters. Patients who had laparoscopic TME (LaTME) served as a control group. Out of 81 patients invited to participate 48 accepted. There were 36 in theTaTMEgroup, and 12 in the LaTMEgroup. The mean follow-up time from the index operation date to the assessment date was 41.34months (± SD 24.834). The mean resting pressure did not differ significantly between the groups (36.44mmHg ± 18.514 and 36.58mmHg ± 13.318 in the TaTME and LaTME groups, respectively, p = 0.981). The mean squeeze pressure was also comparable (125.00mmHg ± 66.141 and 111.83mmHg ± 51.111 in the TaTME and LaTME groups, respectively, p = 0.533). The mean LARS score was comparable and showed comparable results. The analysis of correlation between LARS score and manometry parameters showed no significant associations between resting or squeeze pressure and L:ARS score. Following TME surgery, the resting and squeeze pressures of the anal sphincter measured by manometry were generally decreased, with no differences between the transanal and laparoscopic approaches.

Quality of Life after Sphincter Preservation Surgery or Abdominoperineal Resection for Low Rectal Cancer (ASPIRE): A Long-Term Prospective, Multicentre, Cohort Study

Background: The long-term effects of radical resection on quality of life may influence the treatment selection. The objective of this study was to compare the quality of life after sphincter preservation surgery or abdominoperineal resection for low rectal cancer. Methods: This prospective, cohort study included patients who underwent radical resection for low rectal cancer. The primary outcomes were EORTC QLQ-C30 and CR38 quality-of-life scores 3 years after surgery, which were compared with linear generalised estimating equations, after adjustment for baseline values, a time effect, and an interaction effect between time and treatment. The secondary outcomes included sexual-urinary functions and oncological outcomes. Findings: Between December 2011 and August 2016, 342 patients were enrolled: 268 (78·4%) underwent sphincter preservation surgery and 74 (21·6%) underwent abdominoperineal resection. After 3 years, abdominoperineal resection was associated with a worse body image (adjusted mean difference, 9·8 points on a 100-point scale; 95% CI, 2·9 to 16·6, p=0·0052), micturition symptoms (-8·0 points; 95% CI, -14·1 to -1·8, p=0·0108), male sexual problems (-19·9 points; 95% CI, -33·1 to -6·7, p=0·0032), less confidence in getting and maintaining an erection in males (0·5 points on a 5-point scale; 95% CI, 0·1 to 0·8, p=0·0155), and worse urinary symptoms (-5·4 points on a 35-point scale; 95% CI, -8·0 to -2·7, p<0·0001). 5-year overall survival was worse with abdominoperineal resection in unadjusted (92·2% vs 80·9%; difference 11·3%, hazard ratio 2·38; 95% CI, 1·27 to 4·46, p=0·0052), but did not differ after adjustment. Interpretation: Sphincter preservation surgery for low rectal cancer provides a better quality of life and sexual-urinary functions after 3 years than abdominoperineal resection, confirming that abdominoperineal resection is limited in terms of its quality of life benefit, although it may be needed for oncologic safety in patients with advanced rectal cancer. Trial Registration: The study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov under ID number NCT01461525. Funding Statement: Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Korea Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: ASPIRE was a prospective, non-randomised study approved by the Institutional Review Boards of six clinical recruiting sites, which are listed together with the study protocol and the statistical analysis plan in Supplement 1.

Evaluation of Impact of Surgical Robotic Technology on Quality of Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer:Chinese Experience of R-TME &lt;i&gt;via&lt;/i&gt; Diverse Robotic Technology

Objective: The advantages and disadvantages of robotic technology compared with conventional surgery for low rectal cancer has been discussed extensively, but few studies of the impact on total mesorectal excision (TME) efficacy based on different robotic technologies have been reported. This study aims to evaluate the differences in TME quality between two different robot-assisted TME (R-TME) methods. Methods: Between January 2017 and May 2019, patients who suffered from rectal cancer (cT1-3NxM0) were prospectively registered. Patients independently chose to undergo da Vinci R-TME, MicroHand S R-TME, or laparoscopic TME (L-TME). The integrity of the TME sample served as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes included the involvement of circumferential and distal resection margins (CRM and DRM), lymph node retrieval number, blood loss, operative time (OT), conversion rate, comprehensive complication index (CCI) scores, IPSS,IIEF and FSFI scores. Results: In total, 46 patients underwent laparoscopic TME, 45 patients underwent da Vinci R-TME and 43 patients underwent MicroHand S R-TME. TME quality improved in both two R-TME groups, which was reflected by a reduced DRM involvement rate, more retrieved lymph nodes, reduced blood loss, reduced incidence of severe complications, and earlier urogenital function recovery. However, the operative times for both R-TME methods were significantly longer than that of the L-TME approach. Conclusion: In this study, compared with laparoscopic surgery, Da Vinci or MicroHand R-TME exhibit similar superiority in oncologic resection quality, postoperative morbidity, and recovery of postoperative function. Trial Registration: This study was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov (ID: NCT02752698). Funding Statement: This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No: 51875580) and National Key Research and Development Plan Fund (Grant No: 2017YFC0110402). Declaration of Interests: All authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. Ethics Approval Statement: Approved by the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Program (AAHRPP) (Project number: T16007).

Problem of the carbon dioxide embolism during the procedure of transanal total mesorectal excision

Carbon dioxide embolization is a special complication of laparoscopic colorectal surgery. It is rarely reported in conventional laparoscopic colorectal surgery, and has not been well recognized by surgeons. Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is an increasingly popular sphincter-preserving surgery for low rectal cancer in recent years. Although the number of cases worldwide is not large, carbon dioxide embolization after operation has been reported successively. Once serious carbon dioxide embolization occurs, the mortality is extremely high. The main related factors of carbon dioxide embolization in taTME include high pressure of pneumoperitoneum, narrow space, abundant blood supply of prostate and vaginal wall, Trendelenburg position, etc. The key of prevention and treatment is to pay attention to the control of related risk factors, identify the early signs of carbon dioxide embolism, and take active and effective symptomatic treatment. Reducing the pressure of pneumoperitoneum perfusion can reduce the occurrence of CO2 embolism. Transesophageal echocardiography is the most sensitive way to monitor intravenously CO2, but it is difficult to carry out in clinical practice. The sudden decrease of end expiratory CO2 partial pressure is an important sign of early detection of CO2 embolism. If there is a suspicious lacuna in the operation, it is possible to reduce or stop the pneumoperitoneum when it is unable to distinguish between normal tissue gap or vascular lumen. If the "bubble sign" is observed, CO2 may enter the vein. The risk of venous embolism should be considered.

Robotic-assisted surgery for low rectal cancer: Initial experiences from 15 consecutive cases at Cho Ray Hospital

Abstract Introduction: Conventional laparoscopic surgery for low rectal cancer has several challenges regarding the technique issues such as a limited range of motion instruments. With the advantages, Robotic-assisted surgery has resolved this problems compared with the conventional laparoscopic surgery because it’s dexterity could improve the range of motion instruments. To evaluate the short-term and early oncological outcomes of robotic-assisted surgery for low rectal cancer. Material and Methods: Prospective study to describe one consecutive series of robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection for low rectal cancer at Department of Digestive Surgery of Cho Ray hospital. Results: Between October 2017 and June 2018, robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection with total mesorectal excision has performed on 15 consecutive patients with rectal cancer at Cho Ray hospital. The mean age was 50. Male/ female ratio was 2.75/1. The types of procedures performed were: 13 low anterior resections (LAR), 1 intersphincteric resection with coloanal anastomosis, and 1 abdominoperineal resection (APR). The overall mean operation time was 240 minutes. None of the cases was converted to open procedure. Mean harvested lymph nodes were 12. There was no surgical morbidity or mortality. On the postoperative day 1 and 2, mean visual analog scale (VAS) scores were 3.5. Mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.5 days. Conclusion: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic resection for low rectal cancer is a feasible and safe procedure with acceptable oncological results.

Lateral Nodal Features on Restaging Magnetic Resonance Imaging Associated With Lateral Local Recurrence in Low Rectal Cancer After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy or Radiotherapy

Previously, it was shown in patients with low rectal cancer that a short-axis (SA) lateral node size of 7 mm or greater on primary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) resulted in a high lateral local recurrence (LLR) rate after chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy ([C]RT) with total mesorectal excision (TME) and that this risk was lowered by a lateral lymph node dissection (LLND). The role of restaging MRI after (C)RT with regard to LLR risk and which specific patients might benefit from an LLND is not fully understood. To determine the factors on primary and restaging MRI that are associated with LLR in low rectal cancer after (C)RT and to formulate specific guidelines on which patients might benefit from an LLND. In this retrospective, multicenter, pooled cohort study, patients who underwent surgery for cT3 or cT4 low rectal cancer with a curative intent from 12 centers in 7 countries from January 2009 to December 2013 were included. All patients' MRIs were rereviewed according to a standardized protocol, with specific attention to lateral nodal features. The original cohort included 1216 patients. For this study, patients who underwent (C)RT and had a restaging MRI were selected, leaving 741 for analyses across 10 institutions, including 651 who underwent (C)RT with TME and 90 who underwent (C)RT with TME and LLND. The main purpose was to identify the factors on primary and restaging MRI associated with LLR after (C)RT with TME. Whether high-risk patients might benefit in terms of LLR reduction from an LLND was also studied. Of the 741 included patients, 480 (64.8%) were male, and the mean (SD) age was 60.4 (12.0) years. An SA lateral node size of 7 mm or greater on primary MRI resulted in a 5-year LLR rate of 17.9% after (C)RT with TME. At 3 years, there were no LLRs in 28 patients (29.2%) with lateral nodes that were 4 mm or less on restaging MRI. Nodes that were 7 mm or greater on primary MRI and greater than 4 mm on restaging MRI in the internal iliac compartment resulted in a 5-year LLR rate of 52.3%, significantly higher compared with nodes in the obturator compartment of that size (9.5%; hazard ratio, 5.8; 95% CI, 1.6-21.3; P = .003). Compared with (C)RT with TME alone, treatment with (C)RT with TME and LLND in these unresponsive internal nodes resulted in a significantly lower LLR rate of 8.7% (hazard ratio, 6.2; 95% CI, 1.4-28.5; P = .007). Restaging MRI is important in clinical decision making in lateral nodal disease. In patients with shrinkage of lateral nodes from an SA node size of 7 mm or greater on primary MRI to an SA node size of 4 mm or less on restaging MRI, which occurs in about 30% of cases, LLND can be avoided. However, persistently enlarged nodes in the internal iliac compartment indicate an extremely high risk of LLR, and an LLND lowered LLR in these cases.

Lateral Lymph Nodes as the Achilles Heel of Low Rectal Cancer Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy

Lateral Lymph Nodes as the Achilles Heel of Low Rectal Cancer Surgery After Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Therapy

Transanal total mesorectal excision in laparoscopic surgery for lower rectal cancer: leading actor or supporting actor

Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) is a hot topic currently in colorectal surgery. It has several advantages for lower rectal cancer, especially for male obese patients with narrow pelvis. But the indication of taTME which can really achieve the completeness of TME is limited. In terms of management and regulation, it is necessary to strictly control the indications for surgery. In the initial stage of development, patients with lower rectal cancer, with early stage and real difficulties in laparoscopy should be selected. TaTME is still premature in terms of technique, devices and instruments, with relative higher morbidity in its current form. We should pay more attentions to the safety of taTME to avoid the complications. Also, we should pay more attentions to indication and standardization of techniques, the improvement of instruments and training program of the technique. TaTME should be operated in large teaching hospitals for research purpose in the initial stage. Only with the high-quality evidence of clinical trials, can the technique be spread widely. Now, taTME is still a complementary technique to traditional abdominal surgery for lower rectal cancer. With the accumulation of standardized technique and high-quality of clinical evidence, the value of taTME will be assessed fairly.

Étude de la prévalence de la métastase pulmonaire du cancer rectal chez les patients traités par le chirurgie laparoscopique pour cancer du bas rectal à l’hôpital Thanh Nhan

Étude de la prévalence de la métastase pulmonaire du cancer rectal chez les patients traités par le chirurgie laparoscopique pour cancer du bas rectal à l’hôpital Thanh Nhan

Level of inferior mesenteric artery ligation in low rectal cancer surgery: high tie preferred over low tie

There is no demonstrated benefit of high-tie versus low-tie vascular transections in low rectal cancer surgery. The aim of this study was to compare the effects of high tie and low tie of the inferior mesenteric artery on colonic length. This study was conducted in a surgical anatomy research laboratory. Anatomical dissections were performed on 11 human cadavers. We performed full left colonic mobilization, section of the descending-sigmoid junction, and high and low ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery. Distance from the proximal colon limb to the lower edge of the pubis symphysis was recorded after each step of vascular division. Three measurements were successively performed: before vascular section, after inferior mesenteric artery ligation, and after inferior mesenteric artery and vein section. Before vascular section, the mean distance between colonic end and lower edge of the symphysis pubis was - 1.9 ± 3.5cm. After combined artery and vein section, the mean distance was + 10.7 ± 4.6cm for high tie and + 1.5 ± 3cm for low tie. A limitation of this study is the use of embalmed anatomical specimens, rather than live patients, and the small number of specimens. This study also does not evaluate colon limb vascularization or the impact of proximal lymph node dissection on survival rates. High tie of the inferior mesenteric artery at its aortic origin allows a gain of extra length of about 9cm over low tie.

Short-term efficacy of natural orifice specimen extraction surgery for low rectal cancer.

BACKGROUNDThis case-control study compared the short-term clinical efficacy of natural orifice specimen extraction surgery (NOSES) using a prolapsing technique and the conventional laparoscopic-assisted approach for low rectal cancer.AIMTo further explore the application value of the transanal placement of the anvil and to evaluate the short-term efficacy of NOSES for resecting specimens of low rectal cancer, as well as to provide a theoretical basis for its extensive clinical application.METHODSFrom June 2015 to June 2018, 108 consecutive laparoscopic-assisted low rectal cancer resections were performed at our center. Among them, 26 specimens were resected transanally using a prolapsing technique (NOSES), and 82 specimens were resected through a conventional abdominal wall small incision (LAP). A propensity score matching method was used to select 26 pairs of matched patients, and their perioperative data were analyzed.RESULTSThe baseline data were comparable between the two matched groups. All 52 patients underwent the surgery successfully. The operative time, blood loss, number of harvested lymph nodes, postoperative complication rate, circumferential margin involvement, postoperative follow-up data, and postoperative anal function were not statistically significant. The NOSES group had shorter time to gastrointestinal function recovery (2.6 ± 1.0 d vs 3.4 ± 0.9 d, P = 0.006), shorter postoperative hospital stay (7.1 ± 1.7 d vs 8.3 ± 1.1 d, P = 0.003), lower pain score (day 1: 2.7 ± 1.8 vs 4.6 ± 1.9, day 3: 2.0 ± 1.1 vs 4.1 ± 1.2, day 5: 1.7 ± 0.9 vs 3.3 ± 1.0, P < 0.001), a lower rate of additional analgesic use (11.5% vs 61.5%, P = 0.001), and a higher satisfaction rate in terms of the aesthetic appearance of the abdominal wall after surgery (100% vs 23.1%, P < 0.001).CONCLUSIONNOSES for low rectal cancer can achieve satisfactory short-term efficacy and has advantages in reducing postoperative pain, shortening the length of postoperative hospital stay, and improving patients’ satisfaction in terms of a more aesthetic appearance of the abdominal wall.

The Influence of Neoadjuvant Treatment on the Number of Lymph Nodes on the Surgical Specimen in Mid and Low Rectal Cancer - A Retrospective Single-Centre Study.

Introduction: In this study, we aim to identify the impact of neoadjuvant radiation treatment upon the number of harvested and positive lymph nodes in the surgical specimen; in addition, we tried to identify the impact of chemotherapy in association with radiotherapy on said structures. Patients and methods: In the study we included patients treated for rectal cancer within a single oncologic surgical Unit serving the north-eastern part of Romania, over a period of 5 and a half years, between May 2013 and April 2018. Firstly, we compared pathologic lymph node status to pretherapeutic staging. Secondly, we compared lymph node values in relation to the treatment scheme. Results: There was a total of 498 patients treated radically through open surgery for low and mid rectal cancer. We saw a decrease in N staging in 218 cases, 65 remaining stationary and 10 increasing their lymph node staging on the surgical specimen. We identified significant differences between the total number of lymph nodes (17.4 vs 24.2, p 0.001), the number of positive lymph nodes (1.4 vs 3.4, p 0.001) and the ratio between positive and total lymph nodes (0.08 vs 0.14, p 0.001) in patients with and without neoadjuvant treatment respectively. However, there was no statistical difference between patients with and without chemotherapy associated to radiotherapy in the neoadjuvant treatment plan (p=0.539, p=0.58, p=0.575). Conclusion: This study shows there are significant variations according to the application of neoadjuvant treatment, between the numbers of positive and total lymph nodes, as well as the positive/total lymph node ratio.

Pelvic exenterations for primary rectal cancer: Analysis from a 10-year national prospective database.

AIMTo identify short-term and oncologic outcomes of pelvic exenterations (PE) for locally advanced primary rectal cancer (LAPRC) in patients included in a national prospective database.METHODSFew studies report on PE in patients with LAPRC. For this study, we included PE for LAPRC performed between 2006 and 2017, as available, from the Rectal Cancer Registry of the Spanish Association of Surgeons [Asociación Española de Cirujanos (AEC)]. Primary endpoints included procedure-associated complications, 5-year local recurrence (LR), disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). A propensity-matched comparison with patients who underwent non-exenterative surgery for low rectal cancers was performed as a secondary endpoint.RESULTSEight-two patients were included. The mean age was 61.8 ± 11.5 years. More than half of the patients experienced at least one complication. Surgical site infections were the most common complication (abdominal wound 18.3%, perineal closure 19.4%). Thirty-three multivisceral resections were performed, including two hepatectomies and four metastasectomies. The long-term outcomes of the 64 patients operated on before 2013 were assessed. The five-year LR was 15.6%, the distant recurrence rate was 21.9%, and OS was 67.2%, with a mean survival of 43.8 mo. R+ve resection increased LR [hazard ratio (HR) = 5.58, 95%CI: 1.04-30.07, P = 0.04]. The quality of the mesorectum was associated with DFS. Perioperative complications were independent predictors of shorter survival (HR = 3.53, 95%CI: 1.12-10.94, P = 0.03). In the propensity-matched analysis, PE was associated with better quality of the specimen and tended to achieve lower LR with similar OS.CONCLUSIONPE is an extensive procedure, justified if disease-free margins can be obtained. Further studies should define indications, accreditation policy, and quality of life in LAPRC.

Anatomical basis for the choice of laparoscopic surgery for low rectal cancer through the pelvic imaging data\u2014a cohort study

BackgroundLow rectal cancer surgery without anus conservation needs permanent ileostomy or colostomy which seriously affects the quality of life of patients. Therefore, low rectal cancer surgery not only pays attention to the safety of surgical treatment but also to the anus conservation.MethodsSixty-seven patients suffering from low rectal cancer had undergone laparoscopic surgery which was analyzed through retrospective study. They were divided into the anus-conserving and non-anus-conserving groups. Thirty-five set of pelvic data was obtained from the preoperative CT and MRI images. After that, the discriminant function was obtained to predict the surgery methods for patients with low rectal carcinoma.ResultsAnal-conserving group discriminant function (F1) = − 33.698 + 6.045 × anal margin distance (cm) + 1.105 × T4; non-anus-conserving group discriminant function (F2) = − 14.125 + 3.138 × anal margin distance (cm) + 0.804 × T4. If F1 is greater than F2, then the case can be treated as the anus reservation while if F2 is greater than F1 the case cannot be treated anus reservation. The accuracy of the discriminant function was evaluated which was found to be 97%.ConclusionThe discriminant function of pelvic data provides anatomical basis for the choice of surgical methods for low rectal cancer.

Early ileostomy reversal after minimally invasive surgery and ERAS program for mid and low rectal cancer.

Diverting loop ileostomy following low anterior resection (LAR) is known to decrease quality of life and prolongs the return back to patients' baseline activity. The aim of this retrospective study was to explore feasibility and safety of an early ileostomy reversal strategy in a cohort of patients undergoing minimally invasive LAR within an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program. Prospectively collected data from 15 patients who underwent minimally invasive LAR and diverting ileostomy at the Division of General and Hepatobiliary Surgery, University of Verona Hospital Trust between September 2015 and December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Of 15 patients, 10 patients underwent laparoscopic LAR and 5 patients a robot-assisted procedure. Post-operative complications were observed in 5 patients. Four patients suffered Clavien-Dindo grade 1 or 2 complications, and one patient required redo surgery due to bowel obstruction at the ileostomy site (grade 3b). Following ileostomy reversal, 10 out of 15 patients experienced complications. Two patients required redo surgery for bowel obstruction (grade 3b), whilst eight patients suffered grade 1 or 2 complications, being surgical site infection the most frequently observed (6 cases). Despite that, 80% of patients had their ileostomy reversed within 30days and median time from initial surgery to ileostomy reversal was 22days (range 10-150). Early ileostomy closure after minimally invasive LAR and ERAS program is feasible although it carries non-negligible risk of severe complications which, however, does not hinder its accomplishment.

Correlations between the Recurrence Patterns and Sizes of Lateral Pelvic Lymph Nodes before and after Chemoradiotherapy in Patients with Lower Rectal Cancer

Objective: Factors that predict rectal cancer metastasis to the lungs remain undefined. We investigated whether the lateral pelvic lymph node (LPN) sizes before and after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) correlate with lung metastasis after surgery for lower rectal cancer. Methods: Two hundred and forty patients with lower rectal cancer who received preoperative CRT and curative surgery between 2003 and 2017 were examined. Computed tomography-measured LPN sizes before and after CRT were retrospectively determined by 1 colorectal surgeon who was blinded to the patients’ clinical and pathological outcomes. Results: The 5-year cumulative lung metastasis rates were 15.2%. The mean LPN sizes in patients who developed lung metastasis were larger than those in patients who did not (pre-CRT: 8.7 vs. 6.3 mm, p = 0.003; post-CRT: 6.8 vs. 4.5 mm, p = 0.001). The cumulative lung metastasis rate in patients with large LPNs was higher than in those with small LPNs both before and after CRT. On multivariate analysis, lung metastasis was independently correlated with the LPN size only after CRT (hazard ratio [HR]: 5.58), together with the ypT stage (HR: 2.96) and the tumor location (HR: 0.38). Conclusions: LPN size after CRT is strongly predictive of postoperative lung metastasis in patients with lower rectal cancer.

Laparoscopic sphincter-saving surgery for low rectal cancer through marker meeting approach

Laparoscopic low anterior resection (LAR) with sphincter preservation for ultra-low rectal cancer is always a challenging operation in colorectal surgery. To achieve negative margins, reducing the difficulty and risks of the procedure are major goals for us. The marker meeting approach we reported can help to accomplish this goal. The key technique for the marker meeting approach is to ensure a clear distal margin in a low resection of the rectum by transanal dissection. This procedure allows access to the space around the distal rectum and mesorectum and to pack the gauzes in the distal part of the space as a landmark. Routine laparoscopic LAR was performed to dissect the space until reaching the gauzes packed above and achieve complete mobilization of the rectum and mesorectum. This surgical procedure is simpler and reduces the difficulty of the operation. Therefore, it is expected to reduce the risk of surgery-related complications and positive margins and is suitable to be widely applied and extended in clinical practice. The short-term and long-term clinical outcomes of the marker meeting approach need more research in large samples.

Robot-guided neuromapping during nerve-sparing taTME for low rectal cancer.

Intraoperative pelvic neuromapping with electrophysiological evaluation of autonomic nerve preservation during robotic total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer is conventionally performed by the bedside assistant with a hand-guided probe. Our goal was to return autonomy over the neuromonitoring process to the colorectal surgeon operating the robotic console. A recently described prototype microfork electrostimulation probe was evaluated intraoperatively during abdominal robotic-assisted transanal TME (taTME) surgery for low rectal cancer in three consecutive male patients. An intraoperative video demonstrates the good control and maneuverability of the prototype probe with electrophysiological confirmation of bilateral pelvic autonomic nerve preservation. This study presents the first in situ application of a new microfork probe for fully robot-guided neuromapping in three patients undergoing TME surgery for low rectal cancer.