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Anatomical Basis of Total Mesorectal Excision and Preservation of the Pelvic Autonomic Nerves in the Treatment of Rectal Cancer

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Rectal Cancer Surgery

Abstract

The rectum can be defined as the final 15 cm of the large intestine. Despite its name, it is curved within the sagittal coronal planes. Sagittally the rectum curves anteriorly along the sacrum and makes a sharp posterior curve when the rectum penetrates the levator ani reaches the anal canal. In the coronal plane the rectum is S-shaped.

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© 1997 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Havenga, K., Enker, W.E., DeRuiter, M.C., Welvaart, K. (1997). Anatomical Basis of Total Mesorectal Excision and Preservation of the Pelvic Autonomic Nerves in the Treatment of Rectal Cancer. In: Søreide, O., Norstein, J. (eds) Rectal Cancer Surgery. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60514-7_10

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-60514-7_10

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-61566-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-60514-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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