Results of coloanal anastomosis for rectal cancer

It is now accepted that, in the absence of direct invasion of the anal sphincter, cancers of the middle and lower rectum can be successfully treated with sphincter-preserving surgery. Conservation of the sphincter mechanism should never compromise the oncologic outcome of surgery and the method of neorectum construction must provide acceptable function for patients. This review describes the results of coloanal anastomosis following rectal excision. The oncological and functional results of both straight coloanal and colonic-J-pouch anal anastomosis are presented in detail. The authors discuss recent evidence supporting the functional superiority of colonic-J-pouch reconstruction after rectal excision.