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Updated: Oct 22, 2025
Surgical Robot-Assisted Transanal Specimen Extraction Radical Sigmoidectomy Without an Auxiliary Abdominal Incision
Published on: June 13, 2025
Robotic rectal resection preserves anorectal function: Systematic review and meta-analysis
Julia K Grass1, Chien-Chih Chen2,3, Nathaniel Melling1
1Department of General, Visceral and Thoracic Surgery, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Background:
Improving survival rates in rectal cancer patients has generated a growing interest in functional outcomes after total mesorectal excision (TME). The well-established low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) score assesses postoperative anorectal impairment after TME. Our meta-analysis is the first to compare bowel function after open, laparoscopic, transanal, and robotic TME.
Methods:
All studies reporting functional outcomes after rectal cancer surgery (LARS score) were included, and were compared with a consecutive series of robotic TME (n = 48).
Results:
Thirty-two publications were identified, including 5 565 patients. Anorectal function recovered significantly better within one year after robotic TME (3.8 [95%CI -9.709-17.309]) versus laparoscopic TME (26.4 [95%CI 19.524-33.286]), p = 0.006), open TME (26.0 [95%CI 24.338-29.702], p = 0.002) and transanal TME (27.9 [95%CI 22.127-33.669], p = 0.003).
Conclusions:
Robotic TME enables better recovery of anorectal function compared to other techniques. Further prospective, high-quality studies are needed to confirm the benefits of robotic surgery.
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