Super minimally invasive surgery changing the treatment paradigm for rectal cancer

The treatment mode for patients with low rectal cancer (LRC) is still mainly surgical treatment. With the advancement of medical technology, the current surgical mode is more inclined towards super minimally invasive surgery (SMIS) that preserves organs and functions. SMIS belongs to organ preservation surgery, including non-full thickness and full-thickness resection under digestive endoscopy, laparoscopic or robotic full-thickness resection, and transanal minimally invasive surgery, which can cover all stages of TNM staging. The paper elaborates on the importance of preoperative accurate diagnosis and risk stratification in selecting appropriate SMIS methods, the new progress of imaging technology in accurately predicting lymph node metastasis, providing preoperative TNM staging and risk stratification, and guiding SMIS treatment. Finally, the paper introduces the SMIS surgical options for the treatment of LRC that have been developed and are currently in the clinical research stage, with the aim of maximiz