Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41384979›Full record

ArticleSurgery today2026

Robotic beyond total mesorectal excision for primary rectal cancer: A comparison of Short-term outcomes with standard total mesorectal excision.

Masakatsu Numata, Yosuke Atsumi, Keisuke Kazama, Koji Numata, Shota Izukawa, Suguru Nukada, Toshiyuki Fukuda, Yusuke Suwa, Mayumi Ozawa, Sho Sato and 4 more

Abstract readComparative StudyMulticenter Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Surgery today, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Masakatsu NumataDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan. numata@yokohama-cu.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0414-0046
Yosuke AtsumiDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Keisuke KazamaDepartment of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Koji NumataDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Shota IzukawaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Suguru NukadaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Toshiyuki FukudaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yusuke SuwaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Mayumi OzawaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Sho SatoDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Yasuhiro YabushitaDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Tsutomu SatoDepartment of Surgery, Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, Kanagawa, Japan.
Takaki YoshikawaDepartment of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan.
Aya SaitoDepartment of Surgery, Yokohama City University, Kanagawa, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeRobotic total mesorectal excision (R-TME) is widely used to treat rectal cancer; however, data on robotic beyond TME (R-bTME) remain limited. The present study compared the short-term outcomes between robotic standard TME (R-sTME) and R-bTME in patients with primary rectal cancer.

methodsThis retrospective multicenter study included patients with mid-to-low rectal cancer who underwent robotic surgery between 2017 and 2024. The primary endpoint was postoperative morbidity, defined as Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ II.

resultsOf the 462 patients, 391 underwent R-sTME, and 71 underwent R-bTME. In the R-bTME group, the resected sites most commonly involved the lateral compartment (72%), particularly lateral lymph nodes (63%), followed by the anterior compartment (18%), where uterine resection was most frequent, and the posterior compartment (11%), predominantly involving the hypogastric nerve. Overall morbidity was higher in the R-bTME group than in the R-sTME group (26.8% vs. 16.4%), primarily due to increased urinary dysfunction. However, the rates of severe complications (Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ III), infectious complications, anastomotic leakage, and conversion were comparable between the groups. The rate of positive radial margin (RM) was higher in the R-bTME group than in the R-sTME group (8.5% vs. 1.0%), reflecting more advanced local disease.

conclusionsR-bTME is feasible for advanced primary rectal cancer when performed in select patients at experienced centers.

Indexed as

Digestive System Surgical ProceduresRectal NeoplasmsRectumRobotic Surgical ProceduresAdultAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMorbidityPostoperative ComplicationsRetrospective StudiesTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeLymph nodePostoperative complicationsRectal cancerSurgeryTreatment outcome

Identifiers

PMID41384979

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.