Current status of trans-anal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) following the Second International Consensus Conference

Abdomino-endoscopic perineal excision of the rectum for benign and malignant pathology: Technique considerations for true transperineal verus transanal total mesorectal excision endoscopic proctectomy

PURPOSE

Transanal minimally invasive surgery using single port instrumentation is now well described for the performance of total mesorectal excision with restorative colorectal/anal anastomosis most-often in conjunction with transabdominal multiport assistance. While non-restorative abdomino-endoscopic perineal excision of the anorectum is conceptually similar, it has been less detailed in the literature.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing non-restorative ano-proctectomy including a transperineal endoscopic component were analysed. All cases commenced laparoscopically with initial medial to lateral mobilisation of any left colon and upper rectum. The lower anorectal dissection started via an intersphincteric or extrasphincteric incision for benign and malignant pathology, respectively, and following suture closure and circumferential mobilisation of the anorectum, a single port (GelPOINT Path, Applied Medical) was positioned allowing the procedure progress endoscopically in all quadrants up to the cephalad dissection level. Standard laparoscopic instrumentation was used. Specimens were removed perineally.

RESULTS

Of the 13 patients (median age 55 years, median BMI 28.75 kg/m2, median follow-up 17 months, 6 males), ten needed completion proctectomy for ulcerative colitis following prior total colectomy (three with concomitant parastomal hernia repair) while three required abdominoperineal resection for locally advanced rectal cancer following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Median operative time was 190 min, median post-operative discharge day was 7. Eleven specimens were of high quality. Four patients developed perineal wound complications (one chronic sinus, two abscesses needing drainage) within median 17-month follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Convergence of transabdominal and transanal technology and technique allows accuracy in combination operative performance. Nuanced appreciation of transperineal operative access should allow specified standardisation and innovation.

Initial experience of restorative proctocolectomy for ulcerative colitis by transanal total mesorectal rectal excision and single-incision abdominal laparoscopic surgery

AIM

Laparoscopic surgery is well established for colon cancer, with defined benefits. Use of laparoscopy for the performance of restorative proctocolectomy (RPC) with ileoanal anastomosis is more controversial. Technical aspects include difficult dissection of the distal rectum and a potentially increased risk of anastomotic leakage through multiple firings of the stapler. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties we have used the technique of transanal rectal excision to perform the proctectomy. This paper describes the technique, which is combined with an abdominal approach using a single-incision platform (SIP).

METHOD

Data were collected prospectively for consecutive operations between May 2013 and October 2015, including all cases of restorative proctocolectomy with ileoanal pouch anastomosis performed laparoscopically. Only patients having a transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) assisted by SIP were included. The indication for RPC was ulcerative colitis (UC) refractory to medical treatment.

RESULTS

The procedure was performed on 16 patients with a median age of 46 (26-70) years. The male:female ratio was 5:3 and the median hospital stay was 6 (3-20) days. The median operation time was 247 (185-470) min and the overall conversion rate to open surgery was 18.7%. The 30-day surgical complication rate was 37.5% (Clavien-Dindo 1 in four patients, 2 in one patient and 3 in one patient). One patient developed anastomotic leakage 2 weeks postoperatively.

CONCLUSION

This initial study has demonstrated the feasibility and safety of TaTME combined with SIP when performing RPC with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis for UC.

Transanal approach for intersphincteric resection of rectal cancer in a patient with a huge prostatic hypertrophy

The gold standard of surgical technique for rectal cancer is total mesorectal excision (TME). Laparoscopic TME has been proven to provide surgical safety and oncological outcomes equivalent to open TME. However, dissection of the lower rectum has some inherent difficulties related to a narrow pelvic space. The challenge of TME in the lower rectum was confirmed by the Colorectal Cancer Laparoscopic or Open Resection (COLOR) II trial showing a 9% positive circumferential margin (CRM) rate in laparoscopic TME and a 22% positive CRM rate in open TME. Recently, transanal TME has attracted intense attention as a promising alternative to laparoscopic TME. In this video article, we show the performance of a transanal approach for intersphincteric resection (ISR) of rectal cancer in a patient with a huge prostatic hypertrophy.

ECSPECT prospective multicentre registry for single-port laparoscopic colorectal procedures

BACKGROUND

The international multicentre registry ECSPECT (European Consensus of Single Port Expertise in Colorectal Treatment) was established to evaluate the general feasibility and safety of single-port colorectal surgery with regard to preoperative risk assessment.

METHODS

Consecutive patients undergoing single-port colorectal surgery were enrolled from 11 European centres between March 2010 and March 2014. Data were analysed to assess patient-, technique- and procedure-dependent parameters. A validated sex-adjusted risk chart was developed for prediction of single-port colorectal surgery-related conversion and complications.

RESULTS

Some 1769 patients were enrolled, 937 with benign and 832 with malignant conditions. Procedures were completed without additional trocars in 1628 patients (92·0 per cent). Conversion to open surgery was required in 75 patients (4·2 per cent) and was related to male sex and ASA fitness grade exceeding I. Conversions were more frequent in pelvic procedures involving the rectum compared with abdominal procedures (8·1 versus 3·2 per cent; odds ratio 2·69, P < 0·001). Postoperative complications were observed in a total of 224 patients (12·7 per cent). Independent predictors of complications included male sex (P < 0·001), higher ASA grade (P = 0·006) and rectal procedures (P = 0·002). The overall 30-day mortality rate was 0·5 per cent (8 of 1769 patients); three deaths (0·2 per cent; 1 blood loss, 2 leaks) were attributable to surgical causes.

CONCLUSION

The feasibility and safety, conversion and complication profile demonstrated here provides guidance for patient selection.

Transanal total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: the journey towards a new technique and its current status

INTRODUCTION

The surgical approach to total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer has undergone a substantial evolution with the adoption of more minimally invasive procedures. Transanal TME (taTME) is the latest advanced technique pioneered to tackle difficult pelvic dissections. Areas covered: The evolution of TME surgery from open to laparoscopic, robotic and transanal techniques was explored in this review. The outcomes to date on the latest approach, taTME, are reviewed and the future direction of rectal cancer surgery proposed. A literature search was performed using Embase, Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane databases for articles published between January 2005 to May 2016 using the keywords 'transanal', 'TME', 'laparoscopy', 'robotics', 'minimally invasive', 'outcomes' and 'training'. Expert commentary: Surgical experience in taTME is growing and randomised controlled trials have been planned and initiated worldwide. However, the learning curve for this procedure remains to be established and a structured training programme is necessary to ensure safe introduction and dissemination of the technique in the clinical setting. Further innovation including stereotactic navigation and more specialised transanal equipment are currently being explored and are likely to enhance the technique further.

Surgeons' assessment of internal anal sphincter nerve supply during TaTME - inbetween expectations and reality

Background: Intraoperative identification of nerve fibers heading from the inferior rectal plexus (IRP) to the internal anal sphincter (IAS) is challenging. The transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is said to better preserve pelvic autonomic nerves. The aim of this study was to investigate the nerve identification rates during TaTME by transanal visual and electrophysiological assessment.

Material and methods: A total of 52 patients underwent TaTME for malignant conditions. The IRP with its posterior branches to the IAS and the pelvic splanchnic nerves (PSN) were visually assessed in 20 patients (v-TaTME). Electrophysiological nerve identification was performed in 32 patients using electric stimulation under processed electromyography of IAS (e-TaTME).

Results: The indication profile for TaTME was comparable between the v-TaTME and the e-TaTME group. The identification of IRP was more meaningful under electrophysiological assessment than under visual assessment for the left pelvic side (81% vs. 45%, p = 0.008) as well as the right pelvic side (78% vs. 45%, p = 0.016). The identification rates for PSN did not significantly differ between both groups, respectively (81% vs. 75%, p = 0.420 and 84% vs. 70%, p = 0.187).

Conclusions: The transanal approach facilitated visual identification of IAS nerve supply. In combination with electrophysiological nerve assessment the identification rate almost doubled. For further insights functional data are needed.

Surface Electromyography Reliably Records Electrophysiologically Evoked Internal Anal Sphincter Activity: A More Minimally Invasive Approach for Monitoring Extrinsic Innervation

BACKGROUND

Even in the case of minimally invasive pelvic surgery, sparing of the autonomic nerve supply is a prerequisite for maintaining anal sphincter function. Internal anal sphincter (IAS) innervation could be electrophysiologically identified based on processed electromyographic (EMG) recordings with conventional bipolar needle electrodes (NE). This experimental study aimed for the development of a minimally invasive approach via intra-anal surface EMG for recordings of evoked IAS activity.

METHODS

Six male pigs underwent nerve-sparing low anterior rectal resection. Electric autonomic nerve stimulations were performed under online-processed EMG of the IAS. EMG recordings were simultaneously carried out with conventional bipolar NE as the reference method and newly developed intra-anal surface electrodes (SE) in different designs.

RESULTS

In all experiments, the IAS activity could be continuously visualized via EMG recordings based on NE and SE. The median number of bipolar electric stimulations per animal was 27 (range 5-52). The neurostimulations resulted in significant EMG amplitude increases for both recording types [NE: median 3.0 µV (interquartile range, IQR 2.8-3.5) before stimulation vs. 7.1 µV (IQR 3.9-13.8) during stimulation, p < 0.001; SE: median 3.6 µV (IQR 3.1-4.3) before stimulation vs. 6.8 µV (IQR 4.8-10.3) during stimulation, p < 0.001].

CONCLUSIONS

Intra-anal SE enabled reliable EMG of electrophysiologically evoked IAS activity similar to the conventional recording via NE. The transfer of the method to access platforms for transanal total mesorectal excision or robotics may offer a practical more minimally invasive approach for monitoring extrinsic innervation.