Neorectal Reservoir Construction: Techniques and Outcomes

The first operation that allowed patients with proximal third rectal cancer to avoid a permanent stoma was the anterior resection performed by Dixon in the 1940s. Following this, the coloanal anastomosis was proposed for patients with low rectal cancers which permitted sphincter preservation with variable anal continence and which was regarded as superior to the abdominoperineal resection (APR). Over the past three decades, there has been remarkable progress made in the management of rectal cancer which has seen a reduction in the incidence of the APR and a rise of restorative proctectomy, highlighting postoperative patient function and quality of life considerations [1–5].