[Current status and prospect of transanal total mesorectal excision]

In the last 30 years, the treatment of rectal cancer has changed extensively including the emerge of total mesorectal excision, multidisciplinary approach, and laparoscopy. Transanal total mesorectal excision (taTME) has been a hot topic in the past several years. It was reported that taTME was safe and feasible, and had a satisfactory short-term outcomes. But at this stage it may be premature to compare a new technique, such as taTME, which is still evolving and developing instrumentation to well-established standard procedures like laparoscopic TME. What is possibly needed is selective cases, high quality operation, and more cohort studies with larger sample sizes addressing the safety, feasibility and efficiency.