PROSPECTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE DISTAL MARGIN OF CLEARANCE IN ANTERIOR RESECTION FOR RECTAL-CARCINOMA

The distal resection margin measured in situ at operation, on the fres h specimen and on the fixed specimen was analysed prospectively in 55 consecutive patients undergoing anterior resection for carcinoma of th e rectum. There was obvious contraction in length from the operative m argin to the specimen margin and to the fixed margin. As measured by c ontraction coefficients, contraction was greater in more proximal tumo urs than in distal ones. Eight of 55 patients had microscopic intramur al spread in the fixed distal margin and the maximum spread was 12 mm. Taking contraction of the fixed margin into account, the extrapolated microscopic spread in the operative margin ranged from 0 to 47 mm.