Background: The recent introduction of transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) offers a safe and cost-effective method for the local resection of rectal neoplasms. The ability to standardize a technique for TAMIS will lead to the most reproducible outcomes and enable teaching.
Methods: A retrospective, IRB-approved chart review was conducted of 32 patients who underwent the TAMIS procedure at one institution over a 3-year period.
Results: TAMIS was performed for 11 benign and 21 malignant lesions. The majority of resections were full thickness (29/32) and all were R0. Average distance from the anal verge was 7.5 ± 3 cm, defect circumference was 43.7 ± 10%, operative time was 131 ± 80 min, and length of stay was 1.1 ± 1 days. Two patients had morbidities requiring readmission and further treatment for (1) an aspiration pneumonia with CHF exacerbation and (2) a rectal abscess.
Conclusions: This report outlines an operative technique for TAMIS that is reproducible for the excision of rectal lesions, associated with low morbidity.