Transanal Minimally Invasive Surgery: From Transanal Endoscopic Microsurgery to Robotic Surgery

In times when technological advancements rapidly follow one another, two points have to be always remembered: the starting point of the modern history of rectal cancer surgery can be well placed in time and we are witnessing the incoming of a new era in surgery, where machines are increasingly providing stronger support for the human hand. In the twenty-first century, the limits of rectal cancer treatment continue to be pushed, with surgery still representing the primary form of therapy for optimal oncological and functional results. The advent of transanal approaches has been a natural development responding to the increasing demand for minimally invasive approaches that has characterized the last few decades.