Short-term outcomes of robot-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision / 中华胃肠外科杂志

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the feasibility and safety of Da Vinci robot-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME).@*METHODS@#From May 2017 to July 2018, six rectal cancer patients underwent Da Vinci robot-assisted taTME at our hospital. The clinical data and short-term follow-up results were retrospectively analyzed.@*SURGICAL PROCEDURE@#The patient was placed in a Trendelenburg lithotomy position and sutured with purse string 1-2 cm from the anus to the distal end of the tumor. A self-made platform for transanal surgery was installed and the robot was connected. The rectum was transected circumferentially 0.5 cm from the distal end of the purse. The robot entered the " holy plane" and separated upward between the visceral parietal fasciae to the level of the third sacrum posteriorly and the peritoneal refcection anteriorly. The abdominal trocar was repositioned and connected to the robot. Through the abdominal cavity, the Toldt space of the posterior sigmoid mesentery was entered, and the D3 lymph nodes were dissected proximally. Separation was performed distally to join the perineal approach. Specimen was pulled out from the anus and excised. The cut end of sigmoid colon was anastomosed with the distal rectum or anal canal. Operative status, postoperative pathology and short-term efficacy were analyzed. Mesorectum of specimen was evaluated as complete, near complete and incomplete according to the Nagtegaal criteria. Anastomotic leakage was evaluated according to the criteria developed by the International Rectal Cancer Research Group.@*RESULTS@#All the 6 patients received Da Vinci robot-assisted taTME and sigmoid-anal anastomosis. In the 6 patients, 3 were male and 3 female; mean age was (62.6±2.6) years old; body mass index was (20.5±3.0) kg/m; distance from tumor to anal edge was (39.4±12.0) mm; length of tumor was (33.6±9.2) mm. Four patients received neoadjuvant therapy before surgery. All the patients completed operations successfully without conversion to laparotomy perioperative, severe complications or death. The mean total operative time was (245.8±24.2) minutes; transition interval of two procedures was (21.2±2.6) minutes; time of transanal robotic dissection of mesorectum was (72.3±15.2) minutes; intra-operative blood loss was (86.7±59.9) ml; the height of anastomosis was (16.0±6.1) mm. There were no intra-operative complications including accidental hemorrhage or urethral injury in any patients. The length of the specimens was (177.0±33.3) mm, and the mesorectum was complete in 5 cases, and near complete in 1 case. The mean distal margin was (20.2±3.2) mm, and the proximal, distal and circumferential margins were all negative. Postoperative pathological staging T0N0 in 1 case, T0N1 in 1 case , T2N0 in 2 cases , T4N1 in 1 case, T3N0 in 1 case. The former 5 cases received clear fluit diet on the first day, and received fluid diet on the second day after operation. The drainage tube was removed 3 to 6 days after operation. The postoperative hospital stay was 5 to 7 days. The sixth case developed grade B anastomotic leakage on the third day after operation and healed by conservative treatment. No postoperative death, and no serious complications such as intra-abdominal hemorrhage, intestinal obstruction were found. All the patients were followed up for 5 to 19 months, and no local recurrence and death were observed.@*CONCLUSION@#The robotic system is safe and feasible for taTME procedure in rectal cancer with good short-term efficacy. However, the long-term outcomes require further observation.