Tuynman JB, Yao H, Moolenaar LR, Sietses C, Hompes R, Aigner F et al.
Lancet Gastroenterol Hep 2026; 11: 355-366.
Some 1103 patients were included, with no significant differences in postoperative complications including anastomotic leak, and resection margin status. Conversion to open was significantly less frequent in the transanal group (1 versus 17 per cent, adjusted odds ratio 0.03, 95 per cent confidence interval 0.01 to 0.08).
Comment: TaTME beats laparoscopic TME on conversion rates, but with robotic TME on the rise and delivering similar gains, is laparoscopy still the right comparator?
