Rectovaginal fistula after low anterior resection for rectal cancer healed by nonoperative treatment

Shigenobu Emoto; Hiroaki Nozawa; Satomi Yoneyama; Koji Murono; Manabu Kaneko; Kazuhito Sasaki; Kensuke Otani; Takeshi Nishikawa; Toshiaki Tanaka; Keisuke Hata; Tomomichi Kiyomatsu; Kazushige Kawai; Kanako Omata; Tatsuki Noguchi; Koichi Masuda; Hiroki Sakata; Yusuke Tajima; Akio Hidemura; Hiroyuki Suzuki; Masahiro Ishimaru; Toshiaki Watanabe

doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2017.10.019

Rectovaginal fistula after low anterior resection for rectal cancer healed by nonoperative treatment

Int J Surg Case Rep. 2017:41:121-123. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2017.10.019. Epub 2017 Oct 18.

Authors

Shigenobu Emoto¹, Hiroaki Nozawa², Satomi Yoneyama³, Koji Murono², Manabu Kaneko², Kazuhito Sasaki², Kensuke Otani², Takeshi Nishikawa², Toshiaki Tanaka², Keisuke Hata², Tomomichi Kiyomatsu², Kazushige Kawai², Kanako Omata³, Tatsuki Noguchi³, Koichi Masuda³, Hiroki Sakata³, Yusuke Tajima³, Akio Hidemura³, Hiroyuki Suzuki³, Masahiro Ishimaru³, Toshiaki Watanabe²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Japan; Department of Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, Japan. Electronic address: EMOTOS-SUR@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
² Department of Surgical Oncology, The University of Tokyo, Japan.
³ Department of Surgery, Kanto Rosai Hospital, Japan.

Abstract

Background: Rectovaginal fistula (RVF) is a serious complication after colorectal anastomosis using a double-stapling technique. RVF following this procedure has been considered to be refractory to conservative treatment.

Case presentation: A 75-year-old woman who underwent laparoscopy-assisted low anterior resection for early rectal cancer developed RVF on the 12th postoperative day. Conservative treatment was chosen and was successful. She was discharged from the hospital after 3 weeks with a normal oral diet. Colonoscopy on the 50th postoperative day showed that the RVF was closed.

Conclusion: Conservative treatment may be effective for RVF after colorectal anastomosis using a double-stapling technique when there is no evidence of defecation through the vagina.

Keywords: Double-stapling technique; Low anterior resection; Rectovaginal fistula.