title: Transanal endoscopic surgery for rectal tumors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report our results with local excision by transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM) to treat 42 cases of rectal lesions (29 adenomas and 13 carcinomas).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, descriptive study. Sex distribution: 55% men, 45% women, mean age 65 years (range: 17-84 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  rectal bleeding 67%, diarrhea 23%.
  
  
  METHODS
  mucosectomy 6 cases, full-thickness excision 36 cases. Average follow-up: 11 months (range: 1-36 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed operating time (average 85 min; range: 25-180 min), bleeding (average 100 ml, range 10-350 ml), distance of the tumor from the anal verge (lower tumor margin: mean, 8.8 cm; range, 1-20 cm; distal tumor margin: mean, 12.9 cm; range, 5-22 cm), tumor size (mean, 3.9 cm; range, 2-10 cm), postoperative hospital stay (average, 4 days; range, 2-15 days), morbidity (hemorrhage 1 case; perforation, 1 case), mortality (0) and follow-up (temporary incontinence to flatus in 6 cases, 1 recurrence of carcinoma treated with abdominoperineal resection, 2 recurrences of adenoma and 2 new adenomas).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TEM is a safe technique for the treatment of rectal lesions. Low morbidity and recurrence rates and short hospital stays make TEM a procedure of choice when local rectal surgery is indicated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery B, University of Zaragoza Hospital, Spain.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arribas del Amo
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Ramírez Rodríguez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Aguilella Diago
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elía Guedea
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Palacios Fanlo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez Díez
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008866:Microsurgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011351:Proctoscopy; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*