Transanal total mesorectal excision in rectal cancer: why, how and when

Department Surgical Oncology, Candiolo Cancer Institute – FPO, IRCCS, 10060 Candiolo, Torino, Italy Department Surgical Oncology, Istituto Tumori ‘G Paolo II’, Bari, Italy *Author for correspondence:[email protected] Down-to-up total mesorectal excision (TME) or transanal TME (taTME) has gained worldwide popularity. taTME is one of the most promising innovations of the last years in the field of gastrointestinal surgery. Due to the better view of the dissection planes even in difficult patients (i.e., narrow pelvis or low rectal cancer), taTME seems to achieve both better TME quality reducing the rate of incomplete TME and lower rates of positive circumferential resection margins. taTME has overall morbidity and anastomotic leak rates comparable with the up-to-down TME. Mid-term results of taTME seems to be comparable with those of the up-to-down approach but definitive conclusions cannot be drawn since the short follow-up and small cohort of patients of the present studies.