Abstract
Background
Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer remains a difficult procedure with high conversion rates. We have sought to improve on some of the pitfalls of laparoscopy by using the DaVinci robotic system. Here we report our two-year experience with robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery for primary rectal cancer.
Methods
A prospectively maintained database of all rectal cancer cases starting in November 2004 was created. A series of 39 consecutive unselected patients with primary rectal cancer was analyzed. Clinical and pathologic outcomes were reviewed retrospectively.
Results
22 patients had low anterior, 11 intersphincteric and six abdominoperineal resections. Postoperative mortality and morbidity were % and 12.8%, respectively. The median operative time was 285 minutes (range 180–540 mins). The conversion rate was 2.6%. A total mesorectal excision with negative circumferential and distal margins was accomplished in all patients, and a median of 13 (range 7–28) lymph nodes was removed. The anastomotic leak rate was 12.1%. The median hospital stay was 4 days. There have been no local recurrences at a median follow-up of 13 months.
Conclusions
Robotic-assisted surgery for rectal cancer can be carried out safely and according to oncological principles. This approach shows promising short-term outcomes and may facilitate the adoption of minimally invasive rectal surgery.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Veldkamp R, Gholghesaei M, Bonjer HJ, et al. Laparoscopic resection of colon cancer. Consensus of the European Association of Endoscopic Surgery (E.A.E.S). Surg Endosc 2004; 18:1163–85
The Clinical Outcomes of Surgical Therapy Study Group. A comparison of laparoscopically assisted and open colectomy for colon cancer. N Engl J Med 2004; 350:2050–9
Guillou PJ, Quirke P, Thorpe H, et al. MRC CLASICC trial group. Short-term endpoints of conventional versus laparoscopic-assisted surgery in patients with colorectal cancer (MRC CLASICC trial): multicenter, randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2005; 365:1718–26
Leung KL, Kwok SP, Lam SC, et al. Laparoscopic resection of rectosigmoid carcinoma: prospective randomised trial. Lancet 2004; 363:1187–92
Zhou ZG, Hu M, Li Y, et al. Laparoscopic vs. open total mesorectal excision with anal sphincter preservation for low rectal cancer. Surg Endosc 2004; 18:1211–5
Morino M, Parini U, Giraudo G, Salval M, Contul RB, Garrone C. Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision: a consecutive series of 100 patients. Ann Surg 2003; 237:335–42
Leroy J, Jamali F, Forbes L, et al. Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer surgery: long-term outcomes. Surg Endosc 2004; 18:281–9
Barlehner E, Benhidjeb T, Anders S, Schicke B. Laparoscopic resection for rectal cancer: outcomes in 194 patients and review of the literature. Surg Endosc 2005; 19:757–66
Hartley JE, Mehigan BJ, Qureshi AE, Duthie GS, Lee PW, Monson JR. Total mesorectal excision: assessment of the laparoscopic approach. Dis Colon Rectum 2001; 44:315–21
Morino M, Allaix ME, Giraudo G, Corno F, Garrone C. Laparoscopic versus open surgery for extraperitoneal rectal cancer: a prospective comparative study. Surg Endosc 2005; 19:1460–7
Aziz O, Constantinides V, Tekkis PP, et al. Laparoscopic versus open surgery for rectal cancer: a meta-analysis. Ann Surg Oncol 2006; 13:413–24
Bretagnol F, Lelong B, Laurent C, et al. The oncological safety of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision with sphincter preservation for rectal carcinoma. Surg Endosc 2005; 19:892–6
Lanfranco AR, Castellanos AE, Desai JP, Meyers WC. Robotic surgery: a current perspective. Ann Surg 2004; 239:14–21
Patel VR, Chammas MF Jr, Shah S. Robotic assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a review of the current state of affairs. Int J Clin Pract 2007; 61:309–14
Pigazzi A, Ellenhorn JD, Ballantyne GH, Paz IB. Robotic-assisted laparoscopic low anterior resection with total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer. Surg Endosc 2006; 20:1521–5
Heald RJ, Moran BJ, Ryall RD, Sexton R, MacFarlane JK. Rectal cancer: the Basingstoke experience of total mesorectal excision, 1978–1997. Arch Surg 1998; 133:894–9
Ballantyne GH, Moll F. The da Vinci telerobotic surgical system: the virtual operative field and telepresence surgery. Surg Clin North Am 2003; 83:1293–1304
Stylopoulos N, Rattner D. Robotics and ergonomics. Surg Clin North Am 2003; 83:1321–37
D’Annibale A, Morpurgo E, Fiscon V, et al. Robotic and laparoscopic surgery for treatment of colorectal diseases. Dis Colon Rectum 2004; 47:2162–8
Rockall TA, Darzi A. Robot-assisted laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Surg Clin North Am 2003; 83:1463–8
Munz Y, Moorthy K, Kudchadkar R, et al. Robotic assisted rectopexy. Am J Surg 2004; 187:88–92
Rawlings AL, Woodland JH, Crawford DL. Telerobotic surgery for right and sigmoid colectomies: 30 consecutive cases. Surg Endosc 2006; 20:1713–8
Giulianotti PC, Coratti A, Angelini M, et al. Robotics in general surgery: personal experience in a large community hospital. Arch Surg 2003; 138:777–84
Ahlering TE, Skarecky D, Lee D, Clayman RV. Successful transfer of open surgical skills to a laparoscopic environment using a robotic interface: initial experience with laparoscopic radical prostatectomy. J Urol 2003; 170:1738–41
Tsang WW, Chung CC, Kwog SY, Li MK. Laparoscopic sphincter-preserving total mesorectal excision with colonic J-pouch reconstruction: five-year results. Ann Surg 2006; 243:35–38
Morgan BJ, Heald RJ. Risk factors for, and management of anastomotic leakage in rectal surgery. Colorectal Dis 2001; 3:135–7
Carlsen E, Schlichting E, Guldvog I, Johnson E, Heald RJ. Effect of the introduction of total mesorectal excision for the treatment of rectal cancer. Br J Surg 1998; 85:526–9
Moloo H, Mamazza J, Poulin EC, et al. Laparoscopic resections for colorectal cancer: Does conversion affect survival? Surg Endosc 2004; 18:732–5
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hellan, M., Anderson, C., Ellenhorn, J.D.I. et al. Short-Term Outcomes After Robotic-Assisted Total Mesorectal Excision for Rectal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 14, 3168–3173 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-007-9544-z
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-007-9544-z