Rectoscopy Assessment after Local Excision of Rectal Tumours
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A PROSPECTIVE SINGLE CENTRE FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A NOVEL DIGITAL RECTOSCOPE IN THE SURVEILLANCE OF PATIENTS FOLLOWING TRANS-ANAL EXCISION OF RECTAL TUMOURS
IRAS ID
363843
Contact name
Peter Vaughan-Shaw
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Edinburgh
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
“It’s critical that patients who have had polyps and tumours removed from their lower bowel receive regular checks with a camera.”
Polyps or tumours in the lower part of the bowel (rectum) can be removed using instruments inserted through the bottom which avoids major surgery and the possibility of a stoma bag (colostomy). Afterwards, it is important to check the area with regular camera tests. If checks are delayed, re-growths could be serious and may be untreatable. COVID and other factors have led to long waiting lists for camera checks and in NHS Lothian around 20% of all camera checks are done more than 6 months late.
We want to try a new camera and approach that would allow us to reduce waiting lists. Using a short camera called a ‘rectoscope’ to check the lower bowel has already been shown to be safe, comfortable and acceptable to patients with other conditions. In fact, patients are unlikely to feel or realise any difference between the rectoscope and standard camera tests.
We want to show that this ‘rectoscope’ can be safely used in the outpatient clinic with an enema (suppository) instead of strong bowel medicine taken by mouth the day before. This would mean the camera checks happen on time and would reduce waiting lists for other important tests.
We will include 30 patients across three stages of our study. In the first set of patients, we’ll use the rectoscope alongside the usual endoscope in the endoscopy room using the usual oral bowel medicine. This stage will check the rectoscope is acceptable to the patient and the doctor. In the next 10 patients we will use a suppository instead of oral bowel medicine still using both cameras. Finally, we will use the rectoscope in the outpatient clinic with an suppository to show this is an easy, effective and acceptable way to deliver timely camera checks.REC name
West of Scotland REC 3
REC reference
25/WS/0185
Date of REC Opinion
1 Dec 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion