Transanal endoscopic surgery for rectal tumors

OBJECTIVE: to report our results with local excision by transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to treat 42 cases of rectal lesions (29 adenomas and 13 carcinomas). METHODS: prospective, descriptive study. Sex distribution: 55% men, 45% women, mean age 65 years (range: 17-84 years). Symptoms: rectal bleeding 67%, diarrhea 23%. Surgical technique: mucosectomy 6 cases, full-thickness excision 36 cases. Average follow-up: 11 months (range: 1-36 months). RESULTS: we analyzed operating time (average 85 min; range: 25-180 min), bleeding (average 100 mi, range 10-350 mi), distance of the tumor from the anal verge (lower tumor margin: mean, 8.8 cm; range, 1-20 cm; distal tumor margin: mean, 12.9 cm; range, 5-22 cm), tumor size (mean, 3.9 cm; range, 2-10 cm), postoperative hospital stay (average, 4 days; range, 2-15 days), morbidity (hemorrhage 1 case; perforation, 1 case), mortality (0) and follow-up (temporary incontinence to flatus in 6 cases, 1 recurrence of carcinoma treated with abdominoperineal resection, 2 recurrences of adenoma and 2 new adenomas). CONCLUSIONS: TEM is a safe technique for the treatment of rectal lesions. Low morbidity and recurrence rates and short hospital stays make TEM a procedure of choice when local rectal surgery is indicated.