Role of Donuts and Safe Resection Margins in Rectal Cancer Surgery

Abstract

Resection margins in rectal cancer surgery have a pivotal role in assessing the adequacy of surgery as well as playing an important role in determining the prognosis for the patient. With better understanding of tumor biology, more importance is being laid on circumferential resection margin (CRM) rather than distal/proximal resection margin. Positive CRM is an important predictor for increased local recurrence rates. The length of safe distal resection margin in rectal cancer surgery has reduced significantly over the past few decades, with no significant change in the prognosis of patients. To avoid permanent stoma, more and more sphincter saving procedures are being performed, and this has been made possible as a result of more and more use of staplers. While using staplers, donuts are produced from the two resected ends and there is controversy whether these should be sent for histopathological examination or not. In this article, we discuss the importance of resection margins and donuts in rectal cancer surgery.