title: Laparoscopic total mesorectal excision: early and late results.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Laparoscopic colectomy is superior to open colectomy in terms of short-term surgical outcomes. There is solid evidence indicating that laparoscopic and open surgery are equally effective for colon cancer, but for rectal cancer, the issues of neoadjuvant treatment, the need for total mesorectal excision and autonomic nerve preservation, and the technical demands of a well-constructed low colorectal or coloanal anastomosis challenge even the most specialized surgeons. This review discusses the available evidence on short-term and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision for rectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic MEDLINE and Embase searches of outcomes on laparoscopic total mesorectal excision were conducted and data were retrieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Information on short-term and long-term outcomes after laparoscopic total mesorectal excision remains limited. Data are mainly retrospective and from randomized studies based on few cases that had minimal follow-up. Early non-oncologic surgical outcomes seem improved after laparoscopy, but an increased rate of positive circumferential resection margins has been detected. Though scarce, the available evidence on recurrence and survival does not indicates disadvantages to the laparoscopic approach.
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, University of Sao Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Cecconello
authors: S E A
authors: SE
authors: Araujo
authors: V E
authors: VE
authors: Seid
authors: S C
authors: SC
authors: Nahas
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome