A new surgical technique has been developed to intervene on the rectum, the last part of the intestine. It is particularly useful if cancerous masses have to be removed.
TaTME (Transanal Total Mesorectal Ecision) has just recently gained success among this field’s experts. Professor Antonino Spinelli, Supervisor of Colorectal Surgery at Humanitas, is widely recognized for his experience with this technique. He also organized an international course about it at Humanitas.
A paradigm shift
“This is a radical change of perspective in the way we operate on the rectum. Traditionally we reached that area via the abdomen, going down towards the pelvis, while now we reach it transanally, in a bottom-up fashion. This guarantees a better view of the final section of the rectum.
The transanal technique lets the surgeon assess very clearly the safety margin in relation to the position of the tumor, in order to make relapses less likely. Moreover, they may get a better view of nerve fibres, so that they may reduce sex- and continence-related risks”, Prof. Spinelli explains.
Teamwork at Humanitas
Teaching and spreading new surgical techniques is an integral part of the work of the colorectal surgery team. In addition to courses about new discoveries in rectal surgery, the team also organizes many advanced laparoscopic surgery courses, robotic surgery demos and live surgeries during surgery conventions at Humanitas.
