Laparoscopic natural orifice specimen extraction, a minimally invasive surgical technique for mid-rectal cancers: Retrospective single-center analysis and single-surgeon experience of selected patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and short-term outcomes of middle rectal resection followed by transanal specimen extraction.

METHODS: Forty-four patients with small mid-rectal tumors underwent laparoscopic rectal resection followed by transanal specimen extraction.

RESULTS: The procedure was successful in all patients without intraoperative conversion or additional access. The mean operation time was 182.7 minutes (range, 130-255 minutes), the mean blood loss was 26.5 mL (range, 5-120 mL), the mean postoperative exhaust time was 31.3 hours (range, 16-60 hours), and the mean length of hospital stay was 9.5 days (range, 8-19 days). One patient developed anastomotic leakage, which was treated by intravenous antibiotics and daily pelvic cavity flushes through the abdominal drainage tube. No infection-related complications or anal incontinence were observed. The mean tumor size was 2.1 cm (range, 1.6-3.2 cm), the mean number of harvested lymph nodes was 16.5 (range, 6-31), and the mean follow-up time was 8.5 months (range, 2-16 months). By the last follow-up, no signs of recurrence had been found in any patient.

CONCLUSION: The combination of standard laparoscopic proctectomy and transanal specimen extraction could become a well-established strategy for selected patients.