Local excision of early rectal cancer: A multi-centre experience of transanal endoscopic microsurgery from the United Kingdom

BACKGROUND Total mesorectal excision remains the gold standard for the management of rectal cancer however local excision of early rectal cancer is gaining popularity due to lower morbidity and higher acceptance by the elderly and frail patients.AIM To investigate the results of local excision of rectal cancer by transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEMS)approach carried out at three large cancer centers in the United Kingdom.METHODS TEMS database was retrospectively reviewed to assess demographics,operative findings and post operative clinical and oncological outcomes.This is a retro-spective review of the prospective databases,which included all patients operated with TEMS approach,for early rectal cancer(Node-negative T1-T2),selected T3 in unfit/frail patients.RESULTS Two hundred and twenty-two patients underwent TEMS surgery.This included 144 males(64.9%)and 78 females(35.1%),Median age was 71 years.The median distance of the tumours from the anal verge 4.5 cm.Median tumour size was 2.6 cm.The most frequent operative position of the patient was lithotomy(32.3%),Full-thickness rectal wall excision was done in 204 patients.Median operating time was 90 minutes.Average blood loss was minimal.There were two 90-day mortalities.Complete excision of the tumour with free microscopic margins by>1mm were accomplished in 171 patients(76.7%).Salvage total mesorectal excision was performed in 42 patients(19.8%).Median disease-free survival was 65 months(range:3-146 months)(82.8%),and median overall survival was 59 months(0-146 months).CONCLUSION TEMS provides a promising option for early rectal cancers(Large adenomas-cT1/cT2N0),and selected therapy-responding cancers.Full-thickness complete excision of the tumour is mandatory to avoid jeopardising the oncological outcomes.

Trans-anal endoscopic microsurgery for non- adenomatous rectal lesions

BACKGROUND Trans-anal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM)enables a good visualization of the surgical field and is considered the method of choice for excision of adenomas and early T1 rectal cancer.The rectum and retro-rectal space might be the origin of uncommon neoplasms,benign and aggressive,certain require radical trans-abdominal surgery,while others can be treated by a less aggressive approach.In this study we report outcomes in patients undergoing TEM for rare and non-adenomatous rectal and retro-rectal lesions over a period of 11 years.METHODS Between January 2008 to December 2019 a retrospective analysis was completed for all patients who underwent TEM for non-adenomatous rectal lesion or retro-rectal mass in our institution.Patients were discharged once diet was well tolerated and no complications were identified.They were evaluated at 3 wk post operatively,then at 3-mo intervals for the first 2 years and every 6 mo depending on the nature of the final pathology.Clinical examination and rectoscopy were performed during each of the follow-up visits.RESULTS Out of 198 patients who underwent TEM during the study period,18 had non-adenomatous rectal or retro-rectal lesions.Mean age was 47 years.The mean size of the lesions was 2.9 mm,with a mean distance from the anal margin of 7.9 cm.Mean surgical time was 97.8 min.There were no intra-operative neither late post-operative complications.Mean length of stay was 2.5 d.Mean patient follow-up duration was 42 mo.CONCLUSION TEM allows for reduced morbidity given its minimally invasive nature.Surgeons should be familiar with the technique but careful patient selection should be considered.It can be used safely for uncommon rectal and selected retro-rectal lesions without compromising outcomes.We believe that it should be reasonably considered as one of the surgical methods when treating rare lesions.

Excision of malignant and pre-malignant rectal lesions by transanal endoscopic microsurgery in patients under 50 years of age

BACKGROUND The most common technique for treating benign and early malignant rectal lesions is transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM).Local excision is an acceptable technique for high-risk and elderly patients,but there are hardly any data regarding young patients.AIM To describe TEM outcomes in patients under 50 years of age.METHODS We collected demographic,clinical,and pathological data from all patients under the age of 50 years who underwent the TEM procedure at Hasharon Rabin Medical Center from January 2005 to December 2018.RESULTS During the study period,a total of 26 patients under the age of 50 years underwent TEM procedures.Their mean age was 43.3 years.Eleven(42.0%)were male.The mean operative time was 67 min,and the mean tumor size was 2.39 cm,with a mean anal verge distance of 8.50 cm.No major intraoperative or postoperative complications were recorded.The median length of stay was 2 d.Seven(26.9%)lesions were adenomas with low-grade dysplasia,four(15.4%)were high-grade dysplasia adenomas,two were T1 carcinomas(7.8%),and three were T2 carcinomas(11.5%).No residual disease was found following endoscopic polypectomy in two patients(7.8%),but four(15.4%)had other pathologies.Surgical margins were negative in all cases.Local recurrence was detected in one patient 33 mo following surgery.CONCLUSION Among young adult patients,TEM for benign rectal lesions has excellent outcomes.It may also offer a balance between the efficacy of complete oncologic resection and postoperative quality of life in the treatment of rectal cancer.In some cases,it may be considered an alternative to radical surgery.

Treatment of rectal cancer by transanal endoscopic microsurgery: Experience with 425 patients

AIM: To describe our experience in treating rectal cancer by transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM), report morbidity and mortality and oncological outcome.

Anorectal functional outcome after repeated transanal endoscopic microsurgery

AIM： TO evaluate the status of anorectal function after repeated transanal endoscopic microsurgery （TEN）. METHODS： Twenty-one patients undergoing subtotal colectomy with ileorectal anastomosis were included. There were more than 5 large （〉 1 cm） polyps in the remaining rectum （range： 6-20 cm from the anal edge）. All patients, 19 with villous adenomas and 2 with low-grade adenocarcinomas, underwent TEM with submucosal endoscopic excision at least twice between 2005 and 2011. Anorectal manometry and a question- naire about incontinence were carried out at week 1 before operation, and at weeks 2 and 3 and 6 mo after the last operation. Anal resting pressure, maxi- mum squeeze pressure, maximum tolerable volume （MTV） and rectoanal inhibitory reflexes （RAIR） were recorded. The integrity and thickness of the internal anal sphincter （IAS） and external anal sphincter （EAS） were also evaluated by endoanal ultrasonography. We determined the physical and mental health status with SF-36 score to assess the effect of multiple TEM on patient quality of life （QoL）. RESULTS： All patients answered the questionnaire. Apart from negative RAIR in 4 patients, all of the anorectal manometric values in the 21 patients were normal before operation. Mean anal resting pressure decreased from 38±5 mmHg to 19±3 mmHg （38±5 mmHg vs 19±3 mmHg, P = 0.000） and MTV from 165± 19mLto60± 11mL（165± 19mLvs60± 11 mL, P = 0.000） at month 3 after surgery. Anal resting pressure and MTV were 37 ± 5 mmHg （38 ± 5 mmHg vs 37 ± 5 mmHg, P = 0.057） and 159 ± 19 mL （165 ± 19 mL vs 159 ± 19 mL, P = 0.071）, respectively, at month 6 after TEM. Maximal squeeze pressure de- creased from 171 ± 19 mmHg to 62 ± 12 mmHg （171 ± 19 mmHg vs 62 ± 12 mmHg, P = 0.000） at week 2 after operation, and returned to normal values by postoperative month 3 （171 ± 19 vs 166 ± 18, P = 0.051）. RAIR were absent in 4 patients preoperatively and in 12 （χ2 = 4.947, P = 0.026） patients at month 3 after surgery. PAIR was absent only in 5 patients at postoperative month 6 （χ2 = 0.141, P = 0.707）. Endo- sonography demonstrated that IAS disruption occurred in 8 patients, and 6 patients had temporary inconti- nence to flatus that was normalized by postoperative month 3. IAS thickness decreased from 1.9 ± 0.6 mm preoperatively to 1.3 ± 0.4 mm （1.9 ± 0.6 mm vs 1.3 ± 0.4 mm, P = 0.000） at postoperative month 3 and increased to 1.8 ± 0.5 mm （1.9 ± 0.6 mm vs 1.8 ± 0.5 mm, P = 0.239） at postoperative month 6. EAS thickness decreased from 3.7 ± 0.6 mm preoperatively to 3.5 ± 0.3 mm （3.7 ± 0.6 mm vs 3.5 ± 0.3 mm, P = 0.510） at month 3 and then increased to 3.6 ± 0.4 mm （3.7 ± 0.6 mm vs 3.6 ± 0.4 mm, P = 0.123） at month 6 after operation. Most patients had frequent stools per day and relatively high Wexner scores in a short time period. While actual fecal incontinence was exceptional, episodes of soiling were reported by 3 pa- tients. With regard to the QoL, the physical and mental health status scores （SF-36） were 56.1 and 46.2 （50 in the general population）, respectively.CONCLUSION： The anorectal function after repeated TEM is preserved. Multiple TEM procedures are useful for resection of multi-polyps in the remaining rectum.

Value of macrobiopsies and transanal endoscopic microsurgery in the histological work-up of rectal neoplasms:A retrospective study

To evaluate a step up approach: Taking macrobiopsies and performing excision biopsies in patients with suspected rectal cancer in which biopsies taken though the flexible endoscope showed benign histology. METHODSPatients with a rectal neoplasm who underwent flexible endoscopy and biopsies were included. In case of benign biopsies rigid rectoscopy and macrobiopsies were employed. If this failed to prove malignancy, transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) was used in a final effort to establish a certain preoperative diagnosis. The preoperative results were compared with the findings after surgical excision and follow up to calculate the reliability of this algorithm. RESULTSOne hundred and thirty-two patients were included. One hundred and ten patients with a carcinoma and 22 with an adenoma. Seventy-five of 110 carcinomas were proven malignant after flexible endoscopy. With the addition of rigid endoscopy and taking of macrobiopsies, this number increased to 89. Performing TEM excision biopsies further enlarged the number of proven malignancies to 100. CONCLUSIONThe step-up approach includes taking macrobiopsies through the rigid rectoscope and performing excision biopsies using transanal endoscopic microsurgery in addition to flexible endoscopy. This approach, reduced the number of missed preoperative malignant diagnoses from 32% to 9%.

Transanal endoscopic microsurgery:what indications in 2013?

Thanks to major advances in the field of surgical techniques and neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy,along with more accurate pre-operative staging tools and the widespread introduction of population-based screening programs,treatment of rectal cancer has been evolving over the past few decades,moving towards a more tailored approach.This has brought a shift in the treatment algorithm of benign rectal lesions and selected early rectal cancers,for which today transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM)is accepted as an effective alternative to abdominal surgery.In 2013,topics of controversy are the role of TEM in the treatment of more advanced rectal cancers,in cases of complete pathological response after chemoradiation therapy and the role of TEM as a platform for single-port surgery and NOTES.This article reviews the current indications for TEM and the future perspectives of this approach in the treatment of rectal tumors.

Removal of a large rectal polyp with endoscopic submucosal dissection-trans-anal rectoscopic assisted minimally invasive surgery hybrid technique:A case report

BACKGROUND Endoscopic submucosal dissection(ESD)can be used for the en-bloc removal of superficial rectal lesions;however,the lack of a traction system makes the procedure long and difficult in the presence of extensive lesions.CASE SUMMARY A large polyp occupying 2/3 of the rectal circumference and extending 5 cm in length was removed by ESD with the help of laparoscopic forceps introduced via trans-anal rectoscopic assisted minimally invasive surgery,a disposable platform designed to aid in transanal minimally invasive surgery.Traction of the polyp by forceps during the operation was dynamic,and applied at various points and in various directions.The polyp was removed en-bloc without complications in 1 h and 55 min.A sigmoidoscopy performed 50 d later showed normal healing without polyp recurrence.CONCLUSION The technique presented here could overcome the issues caused by lack of traction during ESD for rectal lesions.

Transanal endoscopic surgery in rectal cancer

Total mesorectal excision(TME) is the standard treatment for rectal cancer, but complications are frequent and rates of morbidity, mortality and genitourinary alterations are high. Transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM) allows preservation of the anal sphincters and, via its vision system through a rectoscope, allows access to rectal tumors located as far as 20 cm from the anal verge. The capacity of local surgery to cure rectal cancer depends on the risk of lymph node invasion. This means that correct preoperative staging of the rectal tumor is necessary. Currently, local surgery is indicated for rectal adenomas and adenocarcinomas invading the submucosa, but not beyond(T1). Here we describe the standard technique for TEM, the different types of equipment used, and the technical limitations of this approach. TEM to remove rectal adenoma should be performed in the same way as if the lesion were an adenocarcinoma, due to the high percentageof infiltrating adenocarcinomas in these lesions. In spite of the generally good results with T1, some authors have published surprisingly high recurrence rates; this is due to the existence of two types of lesions, tumors with good and poor prognosis, divided according to histological and surgical factors. The standard treatment for rectal adenocarcinoma T2N0M0 is TME without adjuvant therapy. In this type of adenocarcinoma, local surgery obtains the best results when complete pathological response has been achieved with previous chemoradiotherapy. The results with chemoradiotherapy and TEM are encouraging, but the scientific evidence remains limited at present.

Transanal minimally invasive surgery vs endoscopic mucosal resection for rectal benign tumors and rectal carcinoids: A retrospective analysis

BACKGROUND Transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS)is a good choice for resection of rectal neoplasms.Endoscopic mucosal resection(EMR)is also widely used in the treatment of benign rectal tumors such as rectal polyps and rectal adenomas.However,no studies have compared the outcome of TAMIS and EMR.AIM To compare the short-term outcomes after TAMIS and EMR for rectal carcinoid and benign tumors(including rectal polyps and adenomas).METHODS From January 2014 to January 2019,44 patients who received TAMIS and 53 patients who received EMR at The Fifth People's Hospital of Shanghai were selected.Primary outcomes(surgical-related)were operating time,blood loss,length of postoperative hospital stay,rate of resection margin involvement and lesion fragmentation rate.The secondary outcomes were complications such as hemorrhage,urinary retention,postoperative infection and reoperation.RESULTS No significant differences were observed in terms of blood loss(12.48±8.00 mL for TAMIS vs 11.45±7.82 mL for EMR,P=0.527)and length of postoperative hospital stay(3.50±1.87 d for TAMIS vs 2.72±1.98 d for EMR,P=0.065)between the two groups.Operating time was significantly shorter for EMR compared with TAMIS(21.19±9.49 min vs 49.95±15.28 min,P=0.001).The lesion fragmentation rate in the EMR group was 22.6%(12/53)and was significantly higher than that(0%,0/44)in the TAMIS group(P=0.001).TAMIS was associated with a higher urinary retention rate(13.6%,6/44 vs 1.9%,1/53 P=0.026)and lower hemorrhage rate(0%,0/44 vs 18.9%,10/53 P=0.002).A significantly higher reoperation rate was observed in the EMR group(9.4%,5/53 vs 0%,0/44 P=0.036).

Transanal minimally invasive surgery using laparoscopic instruments of the rectum:A review

Transanal minimally invasive surgery(TAMIS)was first described in 2010 as an alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery(TEM).The TAMIS technique can be access to the proximal and mid-rectum for resection of benign and earlystage malignant rectal lesions and also used for noncurative intent surgery of more advanced lesions in patients who are not candidates for radical surgery.TAMIS has a shorter learning curve,reduced device setup time,flexibility in instrument use,and versatility in application than TEM.Also,TAMIS shows similar results in a view of the operation time,conversion rate,reoperation rate,and complication to TEM.For these reasons,TAMIS is an easily accessible,technically feasible,and cost-effective alternative to TEM.Overall,TAMIS has enabled the performance of high-quality local excision of rectal lesions by many colorectal surgeons.As TAMIS becomes more broadly utilized such as pelvic abscess drainage,rectal stenosis,and treatment of anastomotic dehiscence,the acquisition of appropriate training must be ensured,and the continued assessment and assurance of outcome must be maintained.

Management of early rectal cancer;current surgical options and future direction

Rectal cancer is the second commonest cause of cancer death within the United Kingdom.Utilization of national screening programmes have resulted in a greater proportion of patients presenting with early-stage disease.The technique of transanal endoscopic microsurgery was first described in 1984 following which further options for local excision have emerged with transanal endoscopic operation and,more recently,transanal minimally invasive surgery.Owing to the risks of local recurrence,the current role of minimally invasive techniques for local excision in the management of rectal cancer is limited to the treatment of pre-invasive disease and low risk early-stage rectal cancer(T1N0M0 disease).The roles of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the management of early rectal cancer are yet to be fully established.However,results of high-quality research such as the GRECCAR II,TESAR and STAR-TREC randomised control trials may highlight a wider role for local excision surgery in the future,when used in combination with oncological therapies.The aim of our review is to provide an overview in the current management of early rectal cancer,the surgical options available for local excision and the future multimodal direction of early rectal cancer treatment.

Case report of a traumatic rectal neuroma

Traumatic neuroma is a well-recognized complication of lower extremity amputation,yet has also been noted to occur elsewhere.We report a clinical case and English-language literature review of traumatic rectal neuroma,a well-known pathologic entity not previously reported in this anatomic location.