[Current situation and outlook of transanal total mesorectum excision in rectal cancer]

Since the characteristics of metastasis and invasion of rectal cancer are confirmed gradually, the aim of surgical treatment in rectal cancer is to protect anal and reproductive function, and to minimize the damage of patients. With prominent advantages of identified lower tumor resection margin, enough circumference resection margin, more minimally invasive procedure and faster recovery, transanal total mesorectal excision(taTME) integrated with natural canal theory, transanal minimally invasive technique and TME can effectively solve the difficulties of transabdominal procedure and becomes the research hotspot in rectal cancer surgery worldwide. Though taTME is still at the initial stage and has certain problems, such as the definition of operational procedure, careful performance of standard operation, further summary of operational detail and skill, observation of long-term efficacy and optimization design of operational instruments, it will be supported by high-level evidence based on increasing cases, maturation of procedure, and clinical multicenter cohort researches. TaTME has a good application prospect and may become one of the main procedures of colorectal surgery to treat the middle or low rectal cancer.