Feasibility, Safety and Outcome of Transrectal Hybrid-NOTES Anterior Resection

Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery has become an important topic. NOTES access routes give the opportunity to reduce surgical access trauma leading to a more painless surgery and enhancing a fast postoperative recovery. Experience with transvaginal laparoscopic cholecystectomy and transvaginal anterior resection for diverticulitis show that such NOTES procedures are feasible and safe. The complication rate to conventional laparoscopic procedures is similar. Since transvaginal access is impossible in men, an alternative route is missing. There are experimental studies and small case series reporting the feasibility of transrectal anterior resection. However any prospective feasibility study demonstrating the safety of the procedure and functional outcomes (sphincter function) are missing. This study investigates the feasibility, practicability, safety and subjective as well as functional outcome of transrectal hybrid-NOTES anterior resection.