OBJECTIVETo analyze the common hemorrhage sites during laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery in order to take reasonable prevention and management.

METHODSClinical data of 355 rectal cancer patients who underwent laparoscopic total mesorectal excision in Shanxi Provincial People's Hospital from January 2012 to December 2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Common bleeding sites, blood loss, and hemostasis time were recorded. According to the date of operation, patients were divided into 2012 group (91 cases), 2013 group (122 cases) and 2014 group(142 cases). Hemorrhage rates were compared among three groups.

RESULTSNo significant differences were observed in the baseline data among the three groups(all P>0.05). The location in the order of the hemorrhage rate from high to low was seminal vesicle tail (63.0%, 131/208), inferior mesenteric vessels (27.3%, 97/355), Toldt's space (24.2%, 86/355), lateral rectal ligaments (12.1%, 43/355) and post-rectal spatial (8.2%, 29/355). According to the blood loss, post-rectal spatial[(14.1±7.1) ml], inferior mesenteric vessels [(12.7±6.1) ml] and seminal vesicle tail [(12.4±6.5) ml] were ranked in top three. The hemostasis time of seminal vesicle tail [(11.5±6.6) minutes] and post rectal spatial [(10.3±7.8) minutes] was longer than the others. Compared with 2012 group, shorter operative time [(205±50) minutes vs. (235±55) minutes, t=4.296, P=0.001], less blood loss [(35±19) ml vs. (81±24) ml, t=16.243, P=0.001] and lower hemorrhage rate [Toldt's space: 7.7%(11/142) vs. 39.6%(36/91), inferior mesenteric vessels: 9.2%(13/142) vs. 44.0%(40/91), post-rectal spatial: 0.7%(1/142) vs. 15.4%(14/91), lateral rectal ligaments: 2.1%(3/142) vs. 29.7%(27/91) and seminal vesicle tail: 50.6%(41/81) vs. 79.6%(43/54)] were found in 2014 group. The decline of hemorrhage rate in seminal vesicle tail was the slowest (χ=11.792, P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONSThe common hemorrhage sites during the laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery are inferior mesenteric vessels, Toldt's space, lateral rectal ligaments, post rectal spatial and seminal vesicle tail. Appropriate preventive measures can ameliorate the intraoperative bleeding significantly, however, more attention should be paid to the seminal vesicle tail during operation because of its higher hemorrhage rate, more blood loss and difficult hemostasis.