A Space Expander of Laparoscopic Rectal Cancer Surgery for Overweight or Obese Patients

Laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery (LRCS) has become a preferred approach for its minimal invasion and fast postoperative recovery. But it is challenging for the tumors of the middle and lower rectum, especially for overweight or obese patients.We present a space expander of laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery, which is a simple tool to widen the perirectal space, as to facilitate the procedure of total mesorectal excision (TME) during the rectal cancer surgery. It has several advantages of lower demand for an assistant, less risk of surgical complications and good feasibility.It is designed as a cylindrical shape, and it is the first invented device to help surgeons safely perform accurate TME on overweight or obese patients during LRCS. With this method, we are able to dissect the rectal wall circumferentially in a safe and quick way.Our previous pig experiments indicated that the learning curve for this technique was as short as 10 minutes.Further clinical trials will be conducted on its efficacy and safety in the future.