Introduction: The abdominal approach for the treatment of rectal tumors is associated with a considerable rate of morbidity. Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery (TEM) is an alternative technique that is less invasive than radical surgery, and therefore has a lower associated morbidity. Moreover, with proper patient selection, TEM presents oncological outcomes comparable to radical surgery. The aim of this study is to review our results obtained with TEM and discuss its role in the treatment of malignant rectal lesions. Patients and Methods: A prospective descriptive study from June 2008 until February 2011. The indications for TEM were: early rectal neoplastic lesions (T1N0M0) with good prognostic factors; neoplastic lesions in more advanced stages in selected patients (high surgical risk, refusal of radical surgery or stoma, and palliative intention). Results: Resection by TEM was performed on 19 patients. The average hospital stay was 5.7 days with an associated morbidity of 16.7%. R0 resection was 88.8%. During the follow-up of 15 (3 - 31) months, no recurrence has been shown. Conclusions: TEM is a safe and effective procedure for the treatment of selected early malignant rectal lesions and is associated with low morbidity. It is a therapeutic strategy based on a multidisciplinary team, careful patient selection, an audited surgical technique and a strict follow-up protocol.
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