Transanal endoscopic microsurgery--impact on the practice of a colorectal surgeon in a district general hospital

Abstract

Introduction: The objective was to assess the impact on the management of colorectal patients treated in a district general hospital within the first year after the introduction of transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM).

Patients and methods: Data were collected for consecutive unselected patients who underwent TEM. Comparative data were derived from a matched group of patients who underwent anterior resection, peranal procedures (PAR) or transanal resection (TAR) in this unit.

Results: Twenty-two patients underwent TEM (11 men and 11 women; aged, 29-87 years; median, 75 years). Eighteen patients had a pre-operative diagnosis of benign rectal neoplasms; three were found to have invasive carcinoma, which might have been missed during TAR. Four patients had a pre-operative diagnosis of rectal cancer and TEM provided local tumour control in three cases. The operating time ranged between 20-150 min (mean, 65 min; median, 57 min). Hospital stay ranged between 0-10 days (mean, 3.7 days; median, 3 days), with a total of 97 in-patient days for the entire group of patients. Twenty-four operations were performed (22 TEM and two salvage anterior resections), with an estimated cost of 1544 pounds sterling for consumables used. Alternative treatments in the absence of TEM were considered to involve 10 anterior resections, 5 closures of ileostomy, 30 TAR procedures and one PAR procedure, with an estimated 306 days of in-patient admission, 46 operations and 6245 pounds sterling spent on consumables.

Conclusions: Availability of TEM allows more efficient treatment for a significant number of patients with rectal tumours. The cost of the equipment is offset by a significant decrease in the length of in-patient admissions.