Surgical Navigation for Lateral Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection in Rectal Cancer

Overview

Journal Tech Coloproctol

Date 2025 Feb 12

PMID 39937208

Authors

K Ochiai

S Ishihara

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Lateral pelvic lymph node dissection (LPLND) provides oncologic benefits in patients with rectal cancer who have enlarged lateral nodes. However, anatomical complexity in the lateral pelvis makes the procedure technically challenging, which may lead to increased intraoperative blood loss, prolonged operative time, postoperative complications and incomplete lymph node dissection. To address such technical challenges, various surgical navigation tools have been developed. In this up-to-date narrative review, we summarize the current evidence on surgical navigation for LPLND and discuss their advantages, limitations and future perspectives.

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