Hartmanns Procedure or Abdominoperineal Excision With Intersphincteric Dissection in Rectal Cancer: a Randomized Study (HAPIrect)
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01995396 |
Recruitment Status :
Recruiting
First Posted : November 26, 2013
Last Update Posted : March 24, 2020
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In patients with rectal cancer, an anterior resection with a colo-rectal or colo-anal anastomoses is the gold standard. However, in patients with a weak sphincter and fecal incontinence or in patients with severe co-morbidity and reduced general condition, this operation is not suitable.
In these situations there are two other radical surgical options, Hartmanns procedure and the Abdominoperineal excision that can be performed with intersphincteric dissection to minimise perineal complications.There are no data on which of these procedures that are best suited for these patients with fecal incontinence or severe co-morbidity( at risk for life-threatening anastomotic leak). In this randomized study we intend to compare postoperative complications within 30 days after these two procedures and also late complications and quality of life after one year postoperatively.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
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Rectal Cancer Sphincter Ani Incontinence Other Diagnoses, Comorbidities, and Complications | Procedure: APE with intersphincteric dissection Procedure: Hartmann´s procedure | Not Applicable |
In patients with rectal cancer, an abdominal operation with anterior resection with total mesorectal excision is the gold standard. Colon is anastomosed to the ano-rectum.The potential risks are bad bowel function with fecal incontinence or a lifethreatening anastomotic dehiscence, especially in patients with severe co-morbidity or reduced general condition.Tumours in the low rectum are usually treated with an abdominoperineal resection where the whole anus is radically excised and a permanent colostomy is created.
For patients with incontinence and/or severe comorbidity, Hartmann´s procedure has often been performed. The rectum is resected, the lower part is transected with a stapler and a colostomy is created. During recent years there has been reports on high rates of pelvic abscesses after Hartmann´s. An alternative has been proposed, namely the abdominoperineal excision (APE) with intersphincteric dissection leaving the outer sphincter and levator muscles in place, thus creating a much lesser perineal wound that also tend to heal better when the ano-pelvic muscles are left in place.
There have been some small retrospective studies comparing postoperative complications after Hartmann´s with anterior resections or the classic abdominoperineal excision. These studies are heterogenous and not balanced and no conclusions can be drawn. There are no data on APE with intersphincteric dissection in rectal cancer patients.
There is a need to clarify what procedure is most suited for patients with rectal cancer and fecal incontinence and / or severe comorbidity.
For this patient group we intend to randomize between Hartmann´s procedure and APE with intersphincteric dissection.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 340 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Hartmanns Procedure or Abdominoperineal Excision With Intersphincteric Dissection in Rectal Cancer: a Randomized Study |
Study Start Date : | February 2014 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | February 2022 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | February 2025 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
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Active Comparator: APE with intersphincteric dissection
Abdominoperineal excision with intersphincteric dissection and a stoma is performed in patients with rectal cancer and fecal incontinence and/or severe co-morbidity
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Procedure: Hartmann´s procedure
Abdominal operation where the rectum is resected and stapled off distally and a stoma is created |
Active Comparator: Hartmann´s procedure
Hartmann´s operation and stoma is performed in patients with rectal cancer and fecal incontinence and/or severe co-morbidity
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Procedure: APE with intersphincteric dissection
Abdominal operation where the rectum is resected down to the levator and then the anus is resected by an intersphincteric dissection and order to leave the outer sfincter and levator in place to avoid a large wound and a high rate of infectious complications. |
- Rates ot postoperative surgical complications within 30 days. [ Time Frame: 30 days ]Perineal and abdominal wound infection, pelvic abscess urinary catheter at discharge etc
- Peroperative data [ Time Frame: day of surgery ]time of surgery, bleeding in ml, peroperative complications, type of staplers used
- The rate of intraoperative perforations [ Time Frame: day of surgery ]record perforation of rectum or tumour during surgery
- Resection margins [ Time Frame: 2-4 weeks after surgery ]Histopathological report
- Rate of local recurrence [ Time Frame: 3 and 5 years postoperatively ]Record local recurrence during follow-up. CT-scan after 1 and 3 years
- Survival after 3 and 5 years follow-up [ Time Frame: 3 and 5 years postoperativelly ]overall survival
- Postoperative actions [ Time Frame: within 30 days ]reoperation, interventions(percutaneous drains etc) hospital stay, rehospitalisation
- Other postop complications [ Time Frame: 30 days ]other infectious, cardio-pulmonary and thromb-embolic complications.
- quality of life between the two methods [ Time Frame: Preoperative and one year after surgery ]QoL protocol according to the QoLiRECT-study (Quality of life rectal cancer study) a study running from Gothenburg, Sweden
- Late complications after surgery [ Time Frame: One year postoperativelly ]Perineal pain, secretion from the ano-rectal stump

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 18 Years and older (Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Rectal cancer 5cm or more from the anal verge
- Both procedures should be possible to perform
- Patients should have co-morbidities and/or have weak anal sphincter where an anterior resection is not suitable
- Metastases are no contraindication but the procedure should be assessed as locally radical.
- Patients should be assesed to cope with a major abdominal procedure(ASA I-III)
Exclusion Criteria:
- rectal cancer below 5cm from the anal verge where a Hartmann is considered not to be locally radical.
- patients where an anterior resection is suitable
- ASA IV or worse

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01995396
Contact: Kenneth Smedh, PhD | +46-70-3735576 | kenneth.smedh@regionvastmanland.se | |
Contact: Maziar Nikberg, PhD | +4621173000 | maziar.nikberg@regionvastmanland.se |
Sweden | |
Västmanlands Hospital Västerås | Recruiting |
Västerås, Sweden, 72189 | |
Principal Investigator: Kenneth Smedh, PhD |
Principal Investigator: | Kenneth Smedh, PhD | Region Vastmanland |
Responsible Party: | Kenneth Smedh, Professor, Region Västmanland |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01995396 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
LTV-398121 |
First Posted: | November 26, 2013 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 24, 2020 |
Last Verified: | March 2020 |
rectal cancer, fecal incontinence, severe co-morbidity, Hartmann´s procedure, |
abdominoperineal excision with intersphincteric dissection, postoperative complications, pelvic abscess, perineal infections |
Rectal Neoplasms Colorectal Neoplasms Intestinal Neoplasms Gastrointestinal Neoplasms Digestive System Neoplasms Neoplasms by Site |
Neoplasms Digestive System Diseases Gastrointestinal Diseases Intestinal Diseases Rectal Diseases |