title: Short-term and Long-term Outcomes Regarding Laparoscopic Versus Open Surgery for Low Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  It is to disclose whether the laparoscopic technique is feasible or not in the treatment of low rectal cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We systematically searched PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Web of Science, Science Direct, SpringerLink, EBSCO, and the Cochrane Library databases for the eligible studies. Review Manager 5.2 was used to test the heterogeneity and to evaluate the overall test performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve studies met the final inclusion criteria (total n=2973). The pooled analyses showed, despite longer operation times, that there were significantly less blood loss, fewer transfusions, shorter times to bowel function recovery, resumed diet and hospital durations, and lower overall complication and wound infection rates. The compared results of the lymph node harvest number, distal resection margin, circumferential resection margin involvement, local and distant recurrences, disease-free survival, and overall survival were similar between both the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Laparoscopic surgery is safe and feasible for the treatment of low rectal cancer.
authors.affiliation: Departments of *General Surgery ‡Interventional Radiology, Qilu Hospital †School of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jin-bo
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Kun
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jing-jing
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Fu-bo
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xue-mei
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D003082:Colectomy / Q000379:methods*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D007813:Laparotomy / Q000379:methods*; D061646:Operative Time; D012004:Rectal Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome