Feasibility of transanal minimally invasive surgery for total pelvic exenteration for advanced primary and recurrent pelvic malignancies

The purpose of this study was to clarify the efficacy and safety of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for total pelvic exenteration (TPE) in advanced primary and recurrent pelvic malignancies.

Using a prospectively collected database, we retrospectively analyzed the clinical, surgical, and pathological outcomes of TAMIS for TPE. Surgery was performed between September 2019 and April 2023. The median follow-up period was 22 months (2–45 months).

Fifteen consecutive patients were included in this analysis M:F = 14:1 and median (range) age was 63 (36–74). Their diagnoses were as follows: primary rectal cancer (n = 5; 33%), recurrent rectal cancer (n = 4; 27%), primary anorectal cancer (n = 5; 33%), and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 1; 7%). Bladder-sparing TPE was selected for two patients (13%). In nine of 15 patients (60%) the anal sphincter could be successfully preserved, five patients (33%) required combined resection of the internal iliac vessels, and two (13%) required rectus muscle flap reconstruction. The median operative time was 723 min (561–1082), and the median intraoperative blood loss was 195 ml (30–1520). The Clavien–Dindo classifications of the postoperative complications were as follows: grade 0–2 (n = 11; 73%); 3a (n = 3; 20%); 3b (n = 1; 7%); and ≥ 4 (n = 0; 0%). No cases of conversion to laparotomy or mortality were observed. The pathological results demonstrated that R0 was achieved in 14 patients (93%).

The short-term outcomes of this initial experience proved that this novel approach is feasible for TPE, with low blood loss, acceptable postoperative complications, and a satisfactory R0 resection rate.