title: Rectal injury during radical prostatectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We evaluated the data of our patients who experienced rectal injury during radical prostatectomy (RP).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed the data for the 7 patients (6 perineal, 1 retropubic) with iatrogenic rectal injury who were selected from 451 patients with RP (218 retropubic, 233 perineal) operated in our clinic between 2003 and 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the 7 patients was 64.4 years. Rectal injury occurred during prostatic apical dissection in 4 patients, during dissection of Denonvilliers fascia in 1 patient, during transection of the rectourethral muscles in 1 patient, and during dissection of the rectal region proximal to the anal sphincter in 1 patient. The mean size of the lesions was 2 (1-4) cm. All of the rectal injuries were recognized during the operation, and double-layered sutures were used for the primary repair. None of the cases required colostomy procedure. No postoperative complications were encountered in 6 of the patients; however, 1 patient underwent a second operation on the following day due to detachment at the injury site. None of the patients displayed urethrorectal fistula, urinary incontinence or urethral stricture.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary repair with double-layered suturing is sufficient for the treatment of rectal injuries that occur during RP if they are recognized intraoperatively.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Dr. Lütfi Kırdar Kartal Training and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yıldırım
authors.forename: Cemal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göktaş
authors.forename: Rahim
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horuz
authors.forename: Cihangir A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cetinel
authors.forename: Onder
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Cangüven
authors.forename: Hasan Fehmi
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Küçük
authors.forename: Selami
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Albayrak
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011468:Prostatectomy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D013536:Suture Techniques; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery