A comparison of resection margins and lymph node clearance in laparoscopic vs open anterior and abdomino-perineal resections for carcinoma of rectum

Introduction: Laparoscopic anterior and abdomino-perineal resections for carcinoma rectum are associated with a lower morbidity than open surgery. It is important to evaluate laparoscopic resections against open surgery for tumour free resection margins and lymph node clearance. Methods: A retrospective analysis of resection margins and number of lymph nodes harvested at anterior and abdomino-perineal resections performed by laparoscopy and open surgery was done. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the tumour free resection margins while lymph node clearance was significantly higher in the laparoscopy group.