title: Intra-abdominal bacterial contamination in TAMIS total mesorectal excision for rectal carcinoma: a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) is currently gaining a lot of attention. NOTES is expected to further reduce surgical trauma and improve patient care due to eliminating abdominal incisions. The interest in transrectal NOTES has grown slowly, because of concerns of bacterial contamination due to transection of the rectum at the start of the procedure. However, different studies already demonstrated that transanal TME (TaTME) can be performed without major complications. This prospective study focuses on the presence and clinical significance of peritoneal bacterial contamination after TaTME for rectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three bacterial cultures were taken at standardized locations from the pelvic area after completion of the TaTME procedure and before closure of the incisional wounds. The cultures were evaluated for bacterial count and species identification. Furthermore, C-reactive protein and white blood cell count were measured perioperatively, and postoperative complications were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-three consecutive patients were included between July 2013 and December 2014. Thirty-nine percent (9/23) of the cultures showed gastrointestinal flora. Four of these patients (44 %) developed presacral abscesses. The remaining 61 % (14/23) of the cultures were negative. None of these patients developed infectious complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transanal TME procedures are associated with positive cultures in more than one-third of the patients. In these patients, postoperative locoregional infectious complications are more common.
authors: Department of Surgery, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Willy Brandtlaan 10, 6716 RP, Ede, The Netherlands. velthuissimone@gmail.com.
authors: Simone
authors: S
authors: Velthuis
authors: Department of Surgery, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Willy Brandtlaan 10, 6716 RP, Ede, The Netherlands.
authors: Marloes
authors: M
authors: Veltcamp Helbach
authors: Department of Surgery, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: Jurriaan B
authors: JB
authors: Tuynman
authors: Department of Microbiology, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Ede, The Netherlands.
authors: Thuy-Nga
authors: TN
authors: Le
authors: Department of Surgery, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors: H Jaap
authors: HJ
authors: Bonjer
authors: Department of Surgery, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Willy Brandtlaan 10, 6716 RP, Ede, The Netherlands.
authors: Colin
authors: C
authors: Sietses
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057605:Natural Orifice Endoscopic Surgery / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D010388:Pelvis / Q000382:microbiology*; D010537:Peritoneum / Q000382:microbiology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000601:surgery*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Infection; NOTES; Rectal cancer; Rectal carcinoma; TAMIS; TaTME