Abstract
rectum was evaluated by intraoperative laser doppler flowmetry in 38 patients with rectal cancer. With the probe sutured to the colonic wall, blood flow was measured at the serosal side of the sigmoid colon, 1cm anal to which anastomosis was planned. The average blood flow was 24.7ml/min/100g tissue, which was measured soon after laparotomy. On clamping both the IMA and the left colic artery the blood flow reduction rate was 16%, which was significantly greater than 9% on clamping the superior rectal artery only (p<0.05). In patients with Riolan arcade (RA), blood flow remained almost unchanged by clamping the involved arteries, while in patients without RA the reduction rate was 25% with a significant difference (p<0.001). Although blood flow was reduced both in the high ligation group and the low ligation group after the anastomosis was performed with involved arteries ligated and divided, no significant difference in the reduction rate was noticed irrespective of the ligation site and the presence or absence of Riolan arcade. On the ground that no anastomotic dehiscence was observed in any of patients with high ligation of the IMA, high ligation of IMA may safely be performed on the basis of appropriately preserved blood flow at the oral side of the anastomosed colon, regardless of the presence of RA.
