Feasibility of transanal endoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer: results of a pilot study

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of transanal total mesorectal excision (TME) in patients with rectal cancer.

Methods: This study enrolled 12 patients with clinically node negative rectal cancer located 4-12 cm from the anal verge who underwent transanal endoscopic TME with the assistance of single port laparoscopic surgery between September 2013 and August 2014. The primary endpoint was TME quality; secondary endpoints included number of harvested lymph nodes and postoperative complications within 30 days (NCT01938027).

Results: The 12 patients included 7 males and 5 females, of median age 59 years and median body mass index 24.2 kg/m². Tumors were located on average 6.7 cm from the anal verge. Four patients (33.3%) received preoperative chemoradiotherapy. Median operating time was 195 minutes and median blood loss was 50 mL. There were no intraoperative complications and no conversions to open surgery. TME was complete or nearly complete in 11 patients (91.7%). Median distal resection and circumferential resection margins were 18.5 mm and 10 mm, respectively. Median number of harvested lymph nodes was 15. Median length of hospital stay was 9 days. There were no postoperative deaths. Six patients experienced minor postoperative complications, including urinary dysfunction in 2, transient ileus in 3, and wound abscess in 1.

Conclusion: This pilot study showed that high-quality TME was possible in most patients without serious complications. Transanal TME for patients with rectal cancer may be feasible and safe, but further investigations are necessary to evaluate its long-term functional and oncologic outcomes and to clarify its indications.