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.