Laparoscopic Total Pelvic Exenteration After Neoadjuvant Imatinib Therapy for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor of the Rectum: A Case Report

Total pelvic exenteration (TPE) may be the only curative procedure for locally advanced rectal gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) that is contiguous with the adjacent organs and pelvic wall. There is no previous report of laparoscopic TPE for advanced rectal GIST. Here, we describe our experience of performing laparoscopic TPE on a locally advanced rectal GIST after neoadjuvant imatinib chemotherapy. A 62-year-old Japanese man was diagnosed with locally advanced rectal GIST that was contiguous with the seminal vesicles, prostate, and left pelvic sidewall. He received imatinib mesylate for 5 months, after which the mass had shrunk but was still contiguous with adjacent organs. We therefore needed to perform TPE, and we accomplished the operation laparoscopically. The total operative time was 540 minutes and estimated blood loss was 280 mL. There were no intraoperative complications and not required conversion to open surgery. The patient had his first stool on the first postoperative day and discharged on the 21st postoperative day with no major complication. Pathologic examination of the resected specimen revealed negative margins. The patient had further adjuvant imatinib chemotherapy and had no recurrence for 20 months postoperatively. Laparoscopic TPE appears to be minimally invasive surgery and safe in the present case of rectal GIST. This is the first report of a case in the world that underwent laparoscopic TPE for advanced rectal GIST.