Transanal total mesorectal excision: surgical technique description and outcomes

Abstract

Minimally invasive techniques (MIS) have been evolving quickly in colorectal surgery during the last two decades. Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) was developed as a combination of skills acquired from different MIS approaches such as Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM), Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery (TAMIS) and Natural Orifices Transluminal Endoscopic Surgery (NOTES). TaTME allows for a better visualization of surgical planes of dissection and achievement of rectal resection following oncologic principles. We here present the standardized taTME technique in use at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and our published outcomes in rectal cancer.

Keywords:

• Transanal TME
• total mesorectal excision
• taTME
• MIS
• colorectal

Acknowledgements

A video describing surgical preparation for taTME is available on the AISchannel website: http://aischannel.com/society/operating-theatre-setup-for-a-cecil-approach-the-nurses-point-of-view.

Step-by-step taTME description is also available: http://aischannel.com/society/tatme-essential-steps-and-common-mistakes-during-the-transanal-dissection.

Disclosure statement

María Fernandez-Hevia has received a grant from Covidien and from the private research foundation Cellex in the last two years. All other authors have nothing to disclose and no financial ties.