Laparoscopic abdominoperineal resection is a surgery to treat cancer low in the rectum or in the anus, close to the sphincter muscles. This surgery, which removes the anus, rectum, and sigmoid colon, is a less invasive technique that calls for five or six small incisions rather that one large incision.
An abdominoperineal resection (APR) is a surgery in which the anus, rectum and sigmoid colon are removed. This procedure is most often used to treat rectal cancers located very low in the rectum. Often this surgery occurs after you have completed radiation and/or chemotherapy treatments.
This procedure is performed under general anesthesia at a hospital. Abdominoperineal resection steps include:
There are several benefits to performing this procedure laparoscopically. Compared to traditional open surgery, the laparoscopic technique:
If you’ve undergone abdominoperineal resection, be sure to call your healthcare provider if any worrisome symptoms occur. Symptoms may include: