Objective To explore the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic extralevator abdominoperineal excision (laparoscopic ELAPE) for low rectal cancer with modified Lloyd-Davies lithotomy position and without turning position. Methods The retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted. The clinicopathological data of 27 patients with low rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic ELAPE without turning position in the West China Hospital of Sichuan University from September 2013 to January 2015 were collected. The modified Lloyd-Davies lithotomy position was used in perineal resection. Observation indicators: (1) surgical situation; (2) postoperative recovery situation; (3) postoperative pathological examination situation; (4) follow-up and survival situations. Follow-up using outpatient examination and telephone interview was performed to detect postoperative complications, survival of patients and tumor recurrence or metastasis up to March 2017. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as ±s. Measurement data with skewed distribution were described as M (range). Results (1) Surgical situation: A total of 27 patients received laparoscopic ELAPE without turning position, and operation time and volume of intraoperative blood loss were (198±51)minutes and (85±66)mL. Among 5 of 27 patients with intraoperative complications, 1 with intestinal perforation received successful intraoperative repair, 1 with presacral haemorrhage received successful hemostasis by intraoperative gauze pressing, 1 with left and right pelvic plexus injury didn′t receive special treatment, 1 with left pelvic plexus injury + left internal iliac vein injury didn′t receive special treatment and were repaired in vascular injury repair, 1 with right neurovascular bundle injury didn′t receive special treatment of nerve injury and received successful hemostasis by ultrasonic scalpel. There was no perforation in the site of the tumor. Number of lymph node dissected was 14 (range, 9-22), and number of lymph node dissected ≥12 and 100 mL) and 7 in Clavien-DindoⅡ (3 with pulmonary infection, 2 with chylous fistula, 1 with perineal incision infection and 1 with hematuria). There was no death within 30 days postoperatively. The median duration of hospital stay of 27 patients was 7 days (range, 6-8 days). (3) Postoperative pathological examination situation: of 27 patients, 1 and 26 had respectively positive and negative circumferential margins and median distance of circumferential margin was 0.7 cm (range, 0.1-1.1 cm). T stage: 14, 12 and 1 patients were respectively detected in T2, T3 and T4. N stage: 18, 6 and 3 patients were respectively found in N0, N1 and N2. (4) Follow-up and survival situations: 25 of 27 patients were followed up for 2-32 months, with a median time of 24 months. During the follow-up, 5 had complications after discharge from hospital. Of 5 patients, 2 with persistent anal pain didn′t receive special treatment and were not relieved, and 3 with sexual dysfunction didn′t receive special treatment and were followed up or observed. Of 25 patients, 2 died of tumor-related diseases, 1 died of non-tumor-related disease and other 22 had survival. No local tumor recurrence was detected. Eight patients had tumor distant metastases, including 4 with pulmonary metastases, 3 with hepatic metastases and 1 with brain metastasis. Conclusion Laparoscopic ELAPE by modified Lloyd-Davies lithotomy position without turning position is safe and feasible, with closing pelvic floor peritoneum in stage Ⅰ. Key words: Rectal neoplasms, low; Extralevator abdominoperineal excision; Laparoscopy; Position