Robotic total mesorectal excision: state of the art

Minimally-invasive conventional up-to-down laparoscopic approach is a widespread alternative for rectal cancer resection. Its potential benefits towards open surgery have been shown to rely, however, at secondary clinical outcomes, and its oncological non-inferiority compared with the traditional open approach has not been demonstrated yet. In this scenario, robotic-assisted minimally-invasive rectal resection has gained increasing popularity and promising expectancies. This narrative review aims to assemble the most updated evidence available and to discuss the future perspectives and challenges for this emergent surgical tool. The main benefit over conventional laparoscopy appears to be a reduction of conversion rates to open surgery, whereas the oncologic and functional outcomes seem similar than the other alternatives. Increased costs are the main limitation of the widespread of robotic technology. Low quality of the current evidence is remarkable