Hartmann's operation is applied when the conditions are not suitable for anastomosis and simultaneously when it is not necessary to remove the pelvic floor with the anal canal. Hartmann's operation is also performed if the patient has poor anal sphincter function or if the patient's general status is too poor to tolerate a possible anastomosis leakage.
The procedure is rarely used in localized primary cancer, and is often of a secondary choice.
Indications
- cancer in the rectum
- cancer in the sigmoideum
Goals
- Curation
- Avoid damage to the autonomic pelvic nerves
- Reduce the operation time by not removing the anal canal
- Avoid delayed healing in the perineum as in a rectal amputation
- Palliation if the patient has a long expected survival despite metastases