Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38006203›Full record

ArticleBJS open2023

Tumour, narrow pelvis and surgery specific factors for total mesorectal excision quality and morbidity following rectal cancer resection.

Peter Tschann, Thomas Brock, Markus P Weigl, Patrick Clemens, Walter Brunner, Christian Attenberger, Ingmar Königsrainer, Klaus Emmanuel, Marko Konschake, Tarkan Jäger

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJS open, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 12% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 8 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Influence of computed tomography-based pelvimetric parameters and surgical approaches on surgical difficulty in mid‑low rectal cancer.Wideochirurgia i inne techniki maloinwazyjne = Videosurgery and other miniinvasive techniques · 2025
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.

Peter TschannDepartment of General and Thoracic Surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-3950-0347
Thomas BrockDepartment of General and Thoracic Surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.
Markus P WeiglDepartment of General and Thoracic Surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.
Patrick ClemensDepartment of Radio-Oncology, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.
Walter BrunnerDepartment of General, Visceral, Endocrine and Transplant Surgery, Kantonsspital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland.ORCID 0000-0002-4344-3093
Christian AttenbergerInstitute of Medical Physics, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.
Ingmar KönigsrainerDepartment of General and Thoracic Surgery, Academic Teaching Hospital Feldkirch, Feldkirch, Austria.
Klaus EmmanuelDepartment of Surgery, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Marko KonschakeInstitute of Clinical and Functional Anatomy, Medical University Innsbruck (MUI), Innsbruck, Austria.
Tarkan JägerDepartment of Surgery, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Landeskrankenhaus Feldkirch · ATParacelsus Medical University · ATInnsbruck Medical University · ATKantonsspital St. Gallen · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPelvic anatomy is critical in challenging rectal resections. This study investigated how pelvic anatomy relates to total mesorectal excision (TME) quality, anastomotic leakage rate, and long-term oncological outcomes.

methodsPatients undergoing elective rectal cancer resection from 2008 to 2017 in an Austrian institution were retrospectively reviewed regardless of the surgical approach. CT scans were analysed for pelvic measurements and volumes. The primary outcomes of interest were the correlation between pelvic dimensions and the TME quality and anastomotic leakage. Subanalysis was done by surgical approach (open, laparoscopic, transanal TME). Secondary outcomes were overall and disease-free survivals.

resultsAmong 154 eligible patients, 112 were included. The angle between pubic symphysis and promontory significantly correlated with worse TME grades (TME grade 1: mean(s.d.) 102.7(5.7)°; TME grade 2: 92.0(4.4)°; TME grade 3: 91.4(3.6)°; P < 0.001). A significantly lower distance between tumour and circumferential resection margin (CRM) was observed in grade 3 resections, whereas no difference appeared in grade 1 and grade 2 resection (TME grade 1: mean(s.d.) 11.92(9.4) mm; TME grade 2: 10.8(8.1) mm; TME grade 3: 3.1(4.1) mm; P = 0.003). The anastomotic leakage rate was significantly higher in case of a lower CRM (patients with anastomotic leakage: mean(s.d.) 6.8(5.8) mm versus others: 12.6(9.8) mm, P = 0.027), but not associated with pelvimetry measurements. The transanal TME (TaTME) subgroup displayed a wider angle between the pubic symphysis and promontory, younger age and improved TME quality compared to others (respectively, mean TME grades in TaTME versus open versus laparoscopic: 1.0 ± 0.0, 1.5 ± 0.7 and 1.3 ± 0.5, P = 0.013). Finally, oncological survival was not impacted by pelvic measurements or worse TME quality.

conclusionThe angle between the pubic symphysis and promontory and the distance between tumour and CRM were associated with worse TME grades. The anastomotic leakage was associated with a lower CRM but not with pelvimetric measures.

Indexed as

Anastomotic LeakRectal NeoplasmsFemaleHumansMorbidityPelvisRetrospective Studies

Identifiers

PMID38006203
PMCPMC10674077
OpenAlexW4389004829

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.