Transanal minimally invasive surgery for rectal lesions

Background and Objectives: Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) has emerged as an alternative to transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). The authors report their experience with TAMIS for the treatment of mid and high rectal tumors. Methods: From November 2011 through May 2016, 31 patients (21 females, 68%), with a median age of 65 years who underwent single-port TAMIS were prospectively enrolled. Mean distance from the anal verge of the rectal tumors was 9.5 cm. Seventeen patients presented with T1 cancer, 10 with large adenoma, 2 with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) and 2 with carcinoid tumor. Data concerning demographics, operative procedure and pathologic results were analyzed. Results: TAMIS was successfully completed in all cases. In 4 (13%) TAMIS was converted to standard Park’s transanal technique. Median postoperative stay was 3 days. The overall complication rate was 9.6%, including 1 urinary tract infection, 1 subcutaneous emphysema, and 1 hemorrhoidal thrombosis. TAMIS allowed an R0 resection in 96.8% of cases (30/31 cases) and a single case of local recurrence after a large adenoma resection was encountered. Conclusion: TAMIS is a safe technique, with a short learning curve for laparoscopic surgeons already proficient in single-port procedures, and provides effective oncological outcomes compared to other techniques

minimally invasive surgery for rectal prolapse laparoscopic procedures

Surgical treatment of external rectal prolapse, internal intussusception (or internal rectal prolapse), and rectocele is still a challenging clinical problem in the field of colorectal surgery [1, 2]. These conditions may be associated with various pelvic floor disorders, including motility and morphological/functional disorders, ranging from constipation to fecal incontinence, thus significantly affecting the patients' quality of life [3, 4]. A large variety of surgical procedures exists. The literature offers abundant publications, the main problem for an informed decision on the perfect surgical technique being an often large variability of patients' selection, diagnostic assessment and variation within the same surgical technique and materials. As a consequence, the colorectal surgeon still lacks a standardized diagnostic assessment as well as a clear ideal surgical technique [5]. Perineal procedures, such as Delorme's or perineal rectosigmoidectomy or stapled transanal rectal prolapse resection, are indicated for elderly and frail patients, who are not fit for an intervention under general anesthesia, but they have poor efficacy in terms of functional outcomes and recurrence, which may be up to 26 % [6], and also an increasing risk for postoperative incontinence [7]. Abdominal procedures, on the other side, either open or laparoscopic, employing rectal mobilization and fixation, colonic resection or a combination of both, show lower recurrence rates and better functional results, but may cause postoperative worsening of constipation, mostly due to the full rectal mobilization and the consequent possible autonomic nerve injury, which is responsible for dysmotility and impaired evacuation [8]. Laparoscopic ventral mesh recto(colpo)pexy has been introduced in order to obtain good results in terms of functional outcome of the abdominal procedures while avoiding postoperative constipation and incontinence, offering the advantages of anterolateral mobilization, mesh repair and of the laparoscopic approach compared to the open [9]

Natural humoral immune response to ribosomal P0 protein in colorectal cancer patients

Tumor associated antigens are useful in colorectal cancer (CRC) management. The ribosomal P proteins (P0, P1, P2) play an important role in protein synthesis and tumor formation. The immunogenicity of the ribosomal P0 protein in head and neck, in breast and prostate cancer patients and the overexpression of the carboxyl-terminal P0 epitope (C-22 P0) in some tumors were reported

Involvement of interleukin-21 in the regulation of colitis-associated colon cancer

IL-21 expression is increased in the gut of patients with colitis-associated colon cancer, and genetic ablation or antibody neutralization of IL-21 reduces tumor size and inflammation in mice treated with dextran sulfate sodium and azoxymethane

Surgery for fistula-in-ano in a specialist colorectal unit: a critical appraisal

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