Laparoscopic surgery with rectal inversion and specimen extraction: A comparative analysis of efficacy in rectal cancer treatment

The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic surgery combined with the rectal inversion and specimen extraction (RIES) technique for rectal cancer, focusing on both short-term and long-term outcomes. A retrospective comparative analysis was performed on 120 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical excision for rectal cancer from June 2017 to June 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups: Group RIES ([Formula: see text]), which received the novel RIES technique, and Group AIES ([Formula: see text]), which underwent the conventional abdominal incision for specimen extraction. Short-term outcomes, such as postoperative pelvic sepsis, temporary ileus, anastomotic leakage, and anastomotic stricture, were meticulously recorded. Long-term efficacy was evaluated through the 3-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and local recurrence rate (LRR). The RIES group demonstrated a 3-year OS, DFS, and LRR of 86.2%, 77.6%, and 8.6%, respectively, with a low incidence of short-term complications. Comparatively, the AIES group showed a 3-year OS, DFS, and LRR of 83.9%, 74.2%, and 19.4%, respectively, with slightly higher rates of postoperative complications. Statistical analysis using the Student’s t-test, the chi-square ([Formula: see text]) test revealed no significant differences in the primary outcomes between the two groups, and suggested the noninferiority of the RIES technique. The study suggests that the RIES technique is a safe, feasible, and potentially functional and oncological superior approach to rectal cancer treatment, without compromising clinical efficacy. Further research is warranted to validate these findings in a larger, multicenter, and randomized controlled trial.