First case of transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) for middle rectal cancer in a teaching tertiary center: technical aspects

Transanal total mesorectal excision (TaTME) is the last of a long list of technical and technological developments for treatment of middle and low rectal cancer. Even for skilled colorectal surgeons, achieving a good quality total mesorectal excision (TME) in oncology surgery is not always simple, due to the difficulty of obtaining optimal access to the pelvis. So far, studies have shown similar results to laparoscopic surgery, with high rates of complete mesorectal excisions and low rate of circumferential radial margin (CRM) and distal margin with an appropriate number of resected lymph nodes. Like every new technique, its implementation can bring unwanted consequences. The complexity of the approach, the difficulty in the identification of new landmarks and anatomic planes, has led to serious complications such as urethral injury or tumoral seeding. This has made slowdown the massive implementation of the technique among the surgical community, addressing the need of developing training programs and mentoring of this procedure that belongs to high volume centers. The aim of this publication is to present the first case of TaTME in a teaching tertiary center and spread, in our scientific community, the principles of the technique, its indications, main technical steps, complications and functional and oncologic results.