title: Short-term outcome of extra-levator abdominoperineal excision for rectal cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Extra-levator abdominoperineal excision (ELAPE) has been introduced to avoid oncologic problems encountered with conventional abdominoperineal excision (APE) such as high rates of inadvertent bowel perforation and of positive circumferential resection margin. We compare our short-term results of this new approach with a historic patient cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1997 until 2010, we performed 46 consecutive conventional APE and 28 ELAPE after neoadjuvant therapy with a macroscopically complete resection in the true pelvis. Patient data was prospectively collected in our colorectal tumor database. Patient and tumor characteristics were compared as were the rates of inadvertent bowel perforation, of circumferential margin involvement, and of wound abscesses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rates of inadvertent bowel perforation, of circumferential margin involvement, and of wound abscesses were 15.2% vs. 0 (p = 0.04), 4.9% vs. 0 (p = 0.511), and 17.4% vs. 10.7% (p = 0.518), respectively, in the conventional APE vs. ELAPE group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With a significant reduction of the bowel perforation rate and a reduction of circumferential margin involvement and wound abscess formation, ELAPE improves important surrogate parameters for local recurrence rate and survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Dresden-Friedrichstadt General Hospital, Dresden, Germany. Stelzner-Si@khdf.de
authors.forename: Sigmar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stelzner
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hellmich
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Schubert
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Puffer
authors.forename: Gunter
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Haroske
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Witzigmann
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007416:Intestinal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010502:Perineum / Q000601:surgery*; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome