Reconstruction of the pelvic floor with a biological mesh after abdominoperineal excision for rectal cancer

The aim of the study is to describe the results of reconstruction of the pelvic floor by using an absorbable biological mesh after having performed an abdomino-perineal resection with excision of whole of the pelvic floor for rectal cancer Eleven consecutive patients had reconstruction of the pelvic floor after abdominoperineal excision (APR) with a biological mesh. The peri- and postoperative courses were registered in a prospective database. Six patients received preoperative radiochemotherapy. One patient had the mesh removed due to infection and later developed local recurrence. The rest had an uneventful postoperative course despite more pain than is usually experienced in the perineal wound after traditional APR. The use of a biological mesh for pelvic floor reconstruction is feasible with satisfactory results. A randomised trial is warranted in order to evaluate this technique properly.