To assess the effectiveness and safety of limited-splenic flexure mobilization (LSFM) technique in laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer.

The clinical pathological data of 75 patients with rectal carcinoma administered in Guangdong Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine from June 2018 to March 2019 were collected and analysed retrospectively. According to the methods of splenic flexure mobilization, these patients were devided into LSFM group (35 cases) and completed-splenic flexure mobilization (CSFM) group (40 cases).

The tension-free anastomosis between rectum and colon could be achieved without any iatrogenic injury of adjacent organs among the two groups. The qualities of all the surgical specimens were assessed as 3 grade in line with Nagtegaal specimens quality grading system. There was no significant difference of operative time between the two groups (176.8±55.7 vs 205.5±72.4 min, P>0.05), but special time for splenic flexure mobilization in LSFM group were shorter significantly than those in CSFM group (4.5±3.1 vs 25.4±9.3 min, P<0.01). The differences of intraoperative blood loss, prevalence of preventive stoma, number of harvested lymphnodes, first time of postoperative flatus, length of postoperative hospital stays, drainage of pelvic drainage tube, indwelling time of drainage tube and incidence rate of postoperative complication were not of significance between the two groups (P>0.05). There was no rehospitalization, reoperation and death within 30 days postoperatively in the two groups.

LSFM method applied in laparoscopic low anterior resection for rectal cancer is safe and feasible. It the can achieve a satisfactory mobilization effect as CSFM technique, accompanied by much shorter operative time and lower difficulty.

Splenic flexure; Anatomy; Colorectum; Operative procedure; Laparoscope