Reduced port laparoscopic posterior mesh rectopexy effective surgery option for full-thickness rectal prolapse: Study

A recent study found that Reduced port laparoscopic posterior mesh rectopexy may serve as an effective therapeutic option for full-thickness rectal prolapse. Compared to the conventional multiport surgery (MPS), reduced port surgery was found to have smaller wound sizes and better cosmetic outcomes. The study results were published in the journal BMC Surgery. 

Laparoscopic rectopexy has long been considered a reliable treatment for full-thickness rectal prolapse. More recently, reduced port surgery (RPS) has gained attention as a new approach that potentially offers benefits over the traditional multiport surgery (MPS) technique. The primary advantages proposed for RPS include reduced postoperative pain and improved cosmetic outcomes. Hence researchers from Osaka National Hospital, Japan conducted a study to assess the practicality and safety of RPS when used for treating full-thickness rectal prolapse.

A retrospective study was carried out to analyze 37 patients who underwent laparoscopic rectopexy for full-thickness rectal prolapse between October 2012 and December 2018. Out of these, 10 patients underwent traditional multiport surgery (MPS), while 27 patients were treated using the reduced port surgery (RPS) technique. Where laparoscopic posterior mesh rectopexy, also known as the Wells procedure, is the standard surgical method for addressing full-thickness rectal prolapse, the authors also conducted an RPS. In RPS, surgeons utilized a multi-channel access device combined with an additional 12-mm right-hand port to complete the procedure. The primary outcome of the study was to evaluate short-term outcomes for both RPS and MPS by examining several metrics, including operative time, blood loss, postoperative complication rates, and the duration of hospital stay after surgery.