Short-term outcomes of the prone perineal approach for extra-levator abdomino-perineal excision (elAPE)

BackgroundMany studies report that low rectal cancer treated with abdomino-perineal excision (APE) have higher rates of CRM involvement with associated local recurrence and worse survival when compared to low anterior resection. We present a single surgeon’s short-term outcomes using the prone perineal extra-levator (elAPE) approach.MethodsThirty-one patients between 2006 and 2010 underwent elAPE with curative intent. Data was collected prospectively recording patient tumour characteristics and histological outcome. Outcome measures included circumferential resection margins, recurrence rates, 30-day morbidity and mortality.ResultsMean distance of tumour from anal verge was 3.63 ± SD 1.52 cm. 14 patients had pre-operative chemo-radiotherapy. The involved circumferential resection margin rate was 3.2%. Median follow-up was 20 (0–45) months, with overall mortality of 13.3% and 30 day mortality of 6.6%.ConclusionsThe prone position elAPE has a low circumferential resection margin involved rate and, through improved vision, reduces the risk of inadvertent tumour or specimen perforation.