Transanal minimally invasive surgery as a treatment option for a completely occluded anastomosis after low anterior resection: A new approach to severe anastomotic stenosis

New techniques have been developed to treat severe anastomotic strictures after rectal surgery. This report describes a new approach using transanal minimally invasive surgery for the treatment of complete anastomotic occlusion. A 49-year-old man presented with a completely occluded anastomosis after low anterior resection with temporary ileostomy for rectal cancer. The lumen was completely obstructed with a blind wall. A transanal surgical approach was used to treat the obstruction. Water-soluble radiopaque contrast medium was injected intraoperatively to identify the proximal lumen, and an incision was made by electrocautery until the luminal diameter was sufficient. There was no sign of bleeding or perforation after surgery. The patient underwent ileostomy takedown after all the chemotherapy sessions were completed. This report shows that transanal minimally invasive surgery is safe and feasible for the treatment of complete anastomotic occlusions requiring invasive interventions.