[Significance and techniques of preserving the left colic artery in laparoscopic radical resection for rectal cancer]

Total mesorectal excision (total mesorectal excision, TME) has currently become the standard procedure for the treatment of rectal cancer. However, whether to preserve the left colic artery (LCA) during TME surgery remains controversial. The debates mainly focus on whether preserving the LCA can achieve complete dissection of No. 253 lymph nodes and its impacts on patients' defecation, urination, and sexual functions, and prognosis. This article systematically reviews the recent research progress necessity surgical techniques for LCA preservation by combining the anatomical characteristics of the inferior mesenteric artery (IMA) and LCA with clinical experience.