Shared Decision-Making in the Surgical Management of Rectal Cancer: Comparing Low Anterior Resection and...

Low rectal cancer is surgically managed with one of two primary procedures: low anterior resection (LAR) or abdominoperineal resection (APR). Each procedure has a unique profile of potential complications, oncologic outcomes, and quality-of-life impacts. The acceptability of these outcomes is highly driven by patient values. Consequently, shared decision-making is essential to selecting the optimal procedure for each patient. Evidence has shown that patient decision aids (PtDAs) improve patient knowledge, reduce decisional conflict, and support value-congruent decisions. This review describes the development of a rectal cancer PtDA for the choice between LAR and APR. This PtDA was designed according to the International Patient Decision Aid Standards and Ottawa Decision Support Framework. Evaluation of this rectal cancer PtDA demonstrated increased patient knowledge, reduced decisional conflict, and enhanced patient preparedness for decision-making. Despite strong evidence for their utility, PtDAs remain underutilized. This review highlights key barriers in implementing PtDAs and proposes strategies to facilitate the effective integration of PtDAs into surgical practice.