the investigators collected data of sixty low advanced cancer rectum patients who underwent either laparoscopic (30 cases) or open total mesorectal excision (30 cases) in addition to lateral pelvic dissection. The duration of operation in the laparoscopically assisted procedure was longer than the open procedure (p=0.003). The postoperative hospital stay time was longer in the open group than in the laparoscopic group (P=0.043). No significant differences between both groups regarding the number of excised lymph nodes, disease recurrence, RFS, or OS rate.
To compare the open approach and the laparoscopic-assisted approach of dissection of lateral lymph nodes in low advanced rectal cancer patients with clinically suspected nodal metastases in terms of safety, technical feasibility, and patient's oncological outcomes.