Bridging retraction method for robot-assisted surgery of rectal cancer–a video vignette

This video explains the surgical procedure for the bridging retraction (BR) method for robotic surgery for rectal cancer.Use of robot-assisted surgery instead of laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer has been rapidly increasing.In rectal cancer surgery, retraction of the rectum for the surgical view in the pelvis is critical for total mesorectal excision.Since December 2020, we have introduced bilateral rectal retraction, called the bridging retraction method, using monofilament suture.The BR methods have two advantages.One is the easy and reliable change in the direction of rectal traction from outside the body.The other is maintaining a good surgical view without continuous traction by the assistant.In this video, we present our surgical technique for rectal retraction for robot-assisted surgery.