REVIEW  RECTAL CANCER TREATMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY 

Minerva Chirurgica 2018 December;73(6):579-91

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4733.18.07827-6

Copyright © 2018 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Transanal transabdominal TME: how far can we push it?

Rebecca K. ROWEN, Justin KELLY, Jill MOTL, John R. MONSON ✉

Surgical Health Outcomes Consortium, Orlando, FL, USA

Over many decades, advances in surgical technology, such as the use of the electrocautery Bovie, development of minimally invasive and advanced endoscopic platforms and the ability to create and maintain pneumorectum have propelled surgical techniques forward to today, with development of the transanal total mesorectal excision TME (taTME) for en bloc resection of rectal cancers. The transanal platform offers, for now, a viable alternative to perform safe and oncologically sound TME, especially favorable in cases of low rectal lesions in a narrow pelvis post neoadjuvant treatment. The aspiration of the colorectal community remains to continue to push the operative boundaries whilst maintaining safe oncological principals with the best possible functional outcomes for patients. In this article we review this evolving technique and focus on future directions.

KEY WORDS: Rectal neoplasms - Minimally invasive surgical procedures - Transanal endoscopic surgery