Background Rectal cancer management has evolved into a complex multimodality approach with survival, local recurrence, and quality of life parameters being the relevant endpoints. Surgical treatment for low rectal cancer has changed dramatically over the past 100 years. Discussion Abdominoperineal resection, once the standard of care for all rectal cancers, has become much less frequently utilized as surgeons devise and test new techniques for preserving the sphincters, maintaining continuity, and performing oncologically sound ultra-low anterior or local resections. Progress in rectal cancer surgery has been driven by improved understanding of the anatomy and pathophysiology of the disease, innovative surgical technique, improved technology, multimodality approaches, and increased appreciation of the patient's quality of life. The patient with a low rectal cancer, once almost universally destined for impotence and a colostomy, now has the real potential for improved survival, avoidance of a permanent stoma, and preservation of the normal route of defecation.Keywords Rectal cancer . Sphincter preservation . Total mesorectal excision . Anterior resection . Intersphincteric resection . Local excision rectal cancer
Historical BackgroundThe modern era of rectal cancer surgery began with the description of the abdominoperineal resection (APR) by Miles in 1908. Prior perineal and sacral approaches (e.g., Kraske approach) to rectal cancer resection produced high rates of complications, cancer recurrence, poor quality of life (QOL), and poor overall survival. Miles' operation reflected greater understanding of the natural history of rectal cancer that was based on postmortem examination of his patients after perineal resection. He observed cancerous implants in the pelvic peritoneum, mesorectum, and affected nodes of the left common iliac bifurcation. These findings led him to develop a "cylindrical concept" of the spread of rectal cancer to upward, downward, and lateral zones. 1 The original operation included resection of the rectum, sigmoid, mesorectum, nodes of the iliac bifurcation, and a perineal component to include the anus and levator ani muscles. Postoperative mortality was high initially, but local recurrence decreased