Endoscopic submucosal dissection for rectal tumors

Background and study aim: Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has recently been developed for one-piece resection of gastric tumors. In order to improve patients' quality of life, it may be desirable to use the same technique for rectal tumors. Methods: 35 consecutive patients with rectal tumors were enrolled. ESD was carried out using the same technique as for the stomach. The efficacy, technical feasibility, operation time, complications, and follow-up results were assessed. Results: The mean size of the epithelial tumors was 26.2 +/- 14.0 mm, and the rates of one-piece resection and one-piece resection with tumor-free margins were 73.3% (22 of 30) and 70.0% (21 of 30), respectively. The median operation time was 70 min (range 8 - 360 min). All five carcinoid tumors were completely resected. No patient needed blood transfusion or had the complication of problematic bleeding. Perforation during ESD occurred in one patient (2.9%), who was managed with conservative medical treatment after endoscopic closure of the perforation. Excluding seven patients, who either underwent additional surgery or whose follow-up period was less than I year, all 23 patients with epithelial tumors were free of recurrence during a mean follow-up period of 25.7 months (range 12-53 months). Conclusions: ESD was thus found to be feasible for the treatment of rectal tumors, with promising results although the follow-up periods were short. ESD may therefore be indicated for rectal tumors which are not resectable en bloc by conventional procedures, in order to improve the patients' quality of life.