Comparison of short-term efficacy of transanal total mesorectal excision and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision in low rectal cancer

Abstract

Background/objective: The transanal total mesorectal excision(TaTME) of rectal malignancies is largely referred to as treatment of mid to low, especially low rectal cancer. This study was to compare the short-term efficacy of TaTME and laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (LaTME) for low rectal cancer.

Methods: A prospective study of patients with low rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic radical surgery at the General Surgery of Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital from January 2017 to December 2019 was performed. The general information, perioperative results and pathological results of the two groups were compared.

Results: A total of 64 patients were included in the study, 32 in the TaTME group and 32 in the LaTME group. The clinical characteristics of the two groups was comparable (P > 0.05). The operation time in the TaTME group was longer than that in the LaTME group (212.59 ± 28.71min vs 187.66 ± 27.15min, P = 0.001), no significant differences were seen in the conversion rate, intraoperative complications, morbidity, serious morbidity, anastomotic leak, unplanned reoperation and hospital stay(P > 0.05). The circumferential resection margin (CRM) distance in the TaTME group was longer than that in the LaTME group (6.81 ± 2.99 mm vs 5.21 ± 3.06 mm, P = 0.039). The inter-group difference in terms of harvested lymph nodes, mesorectum integrity, CRM involvement, DRM distance, R1 resection, complete remission, pathological T stage, pathological N stage and pathological TNM stage was not significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusions: TaTME is a promising surgical technique and maybe offers a safe and feasible alternative to LaTME in managing low rectal cancer.

Keywords: Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision; Low rectal cancer; Transanal total mesorectal excision.