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Updated: Apr 21, 2026

Single-port Robotic Transanal Total Mesorectal Excision in a Porcine Model (Sus scrofa domesticus)
Published on: April 3, 2026
Robotic interface for transabdominal division of the levators and pelvic floor reconstruction in abdominoperineal
Sung U Bae1, Avanish P Saklani2, Hyuk Hur2
1Division of Colorectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, Keimyung University and Dongsan Medical Center, Daegu, Korea.
Background:
Extralevator abdominoperineal resection (APR) in a prone jackknife position was developed to avoid a positive circumferential resection margin, and its application led to lower rates of local recurrence. The paper describes a technique of robotic extralevator APR with transabdominal levator division followed by pelvic floor reconstruction with bilayered composite mesh.
Methods:
A 42-year-old man with low rectal cancer required APR that was performed in a lithotomy position with transabdominal division of the levators. After the perineal phase, the robot was redocked and a bilayered composite mesh was sutured to the pelvic inlet using robotic needle drivers.
Results:
The specimen had a cylindrical shape, and there was no surgical waist or perforation. Histology revealed a ypT2N0 tumor without circumferential margin involvement.
Conclusions:
The robotic interface can aid in APR by accurately transecting the levators from the top. Additionally, it allows suturing of mesh around the pelvic inlet to prevent perineal hernias. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

