How to Do Laparoscopic D3 Lymph Node Dissection with Left Colic Artery and First Sigmoid Artery Preservation in Rectal Cancer

Anastomotic leakage was the most serious complication after rectal cancer surgery, and left colic artery preservation surgery was done to reduce its incidence; however, this procedure had very little effect on reducing anastomotic leakage compared with left colic artery non-preservation surgery. So, we first proposed D3 lymph node dissection with left colic artery and first sigmoid artery preservation in rectal cancer surgery, and had found it was a possibility that both left colic artery and first sigmoid artery preservation attach greater importance than left colic artery preservation alone. It could be a breakthrough in the field of rectal cancer surgery. Here, we would describe the procedure in detail.