Prolonged Manometric Study on Motor Activity of the Neorectum After Low Anterior Resection of Rectal Cancer

Abstract

The relationship of defecatory function and abdominal symptoms with motor function of the neorectum (oral side of the anastomosis) in 20 patients for more than 1 year after low anterior resection (LAR) of rectal cancer was studied. Manometric system with a microtip transducer placed at 15 cm from the anal margin was used. Contractile activity of the neorectum was recorded for a mean duration of 190 minutes and the results ware analyzed using Eight Star (Star Medical Japan). Four normal volunteers were used in the control group. The patients were divided after LAR into 2 groups according to bowel frequency, fecal incontinence, defecatory urgency, poor group (n=9) and good group (n=11). All patients of the poor group had strong contraction 50 mmHg or more in amplitud (a total of 265 times, median 9.4 times/H). Four patients of the good group (a total of 40 times, median 0.5 times/H) and only 1 subject of the control group (a total of 2 times, median 0 times/H) had strong contraction. The results suggested that frequent strong contraction of the neorectum is one of the causes of poor functional results after LAR.