Functional long-term results after rectal cancer surgery--technique of the athermal mesorectal excision.

PURPOSE: The total mesorectal excision (TME), embedded in a multimodal therapeutic concept, is accepted as the standard therapy of the advanced adenocarcinoma of the middle and lower thirds. The thermal damages of the autonomous nerves in the little pelvis caused by dissection devices remains a large problem. For our patients, we use water-jet dissection (WJD)-aided TME with the intention to minimise the rate of bladder and sexual function disorders. METHODS: From October 2001 until June 2010, we recorded 125 patients with an adenocarcinoma of the middle and lower third of the rectum. Ninety deep anterior rectum resections and 35 abdominoperineal rectum extirpations by WJD were performed. Of the patients, 27.2 % received neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy. Bladder and sexual function disorders were assessed by International Prostate Symptom Score and International Index of Erectile Function. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 46 (2-117) months. Considering a local recurrence rate of 9.6 %, the tumour-specific 5-year survival of the entire collective was 75.4 %. Long-term bladder function disorders showed in 6.0 % (4/64) and sexual function disorders in 25.0 % (9/36) of the male patients in the course of time. CONCLUSION: The specific advantage of the WJD technique is not only the facilitated dissection between the mesorectal fascia and the surrounding nervous structures in the little pelvis but also a completely athermal TME. The rate of bladder and sexual function disorders is an excellent result compared to that of international centres. Due to the size of the patient collective and the retrospective character of the study, further studies are necessary to validate the presented results.

Quantification of periaortic adipose tissue in contrast-enhanced CT angiography: technical feasibility and methodological considerations.

To examine the feasibility of the quantification of abdominal periaortic fat tissue (PaFT) (tissue within - 45 to - 195 HU) in enhanced CT-angiographies compared to unenhanced CT-scans and identify methodological issues affecting its clinical implementation. Using OsirixMD, PaFT volume and mean HU value were retrospectively measured within a 5 mm periaortic ring in paired unenhanced and enhanced abdominal aortic CT-scans. The correlation between PaFT values was examined in a derivation cohort (n = 101) and linear regression analysis produced correction factors to convert values from enhanced into values from unenhanced CTs. The conversion factors were then applied to enhanced CTs in a different validation cohort (n = 47) and agreement of corrected enhanced values with values from unenhanced scans was evaluated. Correlation between PaFT Volume und Mean HU from enhanced and unenhanced scans was very high (r > 0.99 and r = 0.95, respectively, p < 0.0001 for both). The correction factors for PaFT Volume and Mean HU were 1.1057 and 1.0011. Potential confounding factors (CT-kilovoltage, slice thickness, mean intraluminal contrast density, aortic wall calcification, longitudinal variation of intraluminal contrast density, aortic diameter) showed no significant effect in a multivariate regression analysis (p > 0.05). Bland-Altman analysis of corrected enhanced and unenhanced values showed excellent agreement and Passing-Bablok regression confirmed minimal/no residual bias. PaFT can be quantified in enhanced CT-angiographies very reliably. PaFT Volume scores are very consistently slightly underestimated in enhanced scans by about 10%, while the PaFT Mean HU value remains practically constant and offers distinct methodological advantages. However, a number of methodological issues remain to be addressed.

Water-jet dissection in rectal cancer surgery: surgical and oncological outcomes.

UNLABELLED: These days the treatment of rectal cancer remains an encounter for various medical disciplines. A key position in the whole concept of therapy is still taken by surgery itself. To facilitate the advantages of the total mesorectal excision (TME) we used the water-jet dissector (WJD) in our surgical routine. Our object was to analyze perioperative data as well as oncological long-term results following WJD-assisted rectal resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 226 patients underwent surgery for rectal cancer in our center between October 2001 and June 2009. A retrospective review was performed of all WJD-assisted rectal resections during this time. One hundred and five patients with adenocarcinoma of the lower and middle rectum were operated on by 7 surgeons according to the concept of TME. Seventy-six patients underwent a low anterior resection, 29 patients an abdominoperineal resection. Twenty-eight patients received preoperative radiochemotherapy. The median follow-up period amounted to 35 (2-96) months. Survival rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: Anastomotic leakage occurred in 5.7%, wound healing disturbance (including perineal wound infections) in 29.5%, intra-abdominal infections in 7.6% and urinary tract infections in 7.6%. Postoperative bladder dysfunction (requiring catheterization) occurred in 1.9%. Postoperative 30-day mortality was 0%, 60-day mortality 1%. The rate of local recurrence (including three patients who refused postoperative radiochemotherapy) was 8.5%. Cancer-specific survival at 5 years was 74% and differed significantly by stage. CONCLUSIONS: The particular advance of the WJD is the facile development of the embryological plane between the mesorectal fascia and the surrounding pelvic nerves. Without harming one of them, maximum radicality and excellent autonomic nerve preservation can be achieved. The WJD is a technique with acceptable postoperative morbidity and low mortality. Local control and survival are comparable to other surgical centers in international literature.