Abstract
The pelvis is a complex anatomical space enclosed by rigid, bony walls that encompass crucial vessels, nerves, ligaments and viscera. Resection within its narrow confines poses the risk of permanent damage to bowel, bladder, and sexual function, and subsequent deleterious effect on patients’ health and quality of life. In this chapter we describe the anatomy of the pelvis in detail, with a discussion of pelvic fascial planes, precise dissection, optimal total mesorectal excision and extended resections in the treatment of rectal and anal cancers.
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© 2015 Springer-Verlag London
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Melnitchouk, N., Weiser, M.R. (2015). Anatomy of the Rectum and Anus. In: Patel, H., Mould, T., Joseph, J., Delaney, C. (eds) Pelvic Cancer Surgery. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4258-4_42
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-4258-4_42
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