Extended low Hartmann surgery with total mesorectal excision: optimal surgical treatment in stage IV middle and upper rectal cancer
The main surgeries that can be performed in upper and middle rectal cancer are low anterior rectal resection (LAR), lateral colostomy (LC), and extended Hartmann operation with mesorectal excision (EHO). Compared with lateral colostomy, EHO is a curative surgery; it also requires a shorter operative time and has a lower mortality rate than LAR.