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Updated: Nov 23, 2025
Robot-assisted Total Mesorectal Excision and Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection for Locally Advanced Middle-low Rectal Cancer
Published on: February 12, 2022
Robotic pelvic exenteration and extended pelvic resections for locally advanced or synchronous rectal and urological
Michael Williams1,2, Marlon Perera1,2,3, François Xavier Nouhaud1,2
1Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Purpose:
To describe the surgical technique and examine the feasibility and outcomes following robotic pelvic exenteration and extended pelvic resection for rectal and/or urological malignancy.
Materials And Methods:
We present a case series of seven patients with locally advanced or synchronous urological and/or rectal malignancy who underwent robotic total or posterior pelvic exenteration between 2012-2016.
Results:
In total, we included seven patients undergoing pelvic exenteration or extended pelvic resection. The mean operative time was 485±157 minutes and median length of stay was 9 days (6-34 days). There was only one Clavien-Dindo complication grade 3 which was a vesicourethral anastomotic leak requiring rigid cystoscopy and bilateral ureteric catheter insertion. Eighty-five percent of patients had clear colorectal margins with a median margin of 3.5 mm (0.7-8.0 mm) while all urological margins were clear. Six out of seven patients had complete (grade 3) total mesorectal excision. Three patients experienced recurrence at a median of 22 months (21-24 months) post-operatively. Of the three recurrences, one was systemic only whilst two were both local and systemic. One patient died from complications of dual rectal and prostate cancer 31 months after the surgery.
Conclusions:
We report a large series examining robotic pelvic exenteration or extended pelvic resection and describe the surgical technique involved. The robotic approach to pelvic exenteration is highly feasible and demonstrates acceptable peri-operative and oncological outcomes. It has the potential to benefit patients undergoing this highly complex and morbid procedure.
