Lower anterior resection
| Lower anterior resection | |
|---|---|
| Specialty | {{#statements:P1995}} |
A lower anterior resection, formally known as anterior resection of the rectum and anterior excision of the rectum or simply anterior resection (less precise), is a common surgery for rectal cancer and occasionally is performed to remove a diseased or ruptured portion of the intestine in cases of diverticulitis. It is commonly abbreviated as LAR.
LARs are for cancer in the proximal (upper) two-thirds of the rectum which lends itself well to resection while leaving the rectal sphincter intact.[1]
Relation to abdominoperineal resection
LARs, generally, give a better quality of life than abdominoperineal resections (APRs).[2][3] Thus, LARs are generally the preferred treatment for rectal cancer insofar as this is surgically feasible. APRs lead to a permanent colostomy and do not spare the sphincters.
