Trans-natural orifice transuminal specimen extraction in robotic rectal cancer surgery: An analysis of 21 patients        RUAN Hu，LIU Jiang，ZHAO Kun，et al. Department of General Surgery，Affiliated Jinlin Hospital of Nanjing University Medicine College，Nanjing 210002，China
Corresponding author：JIANC Zhi-wei，E-mail：surgery34@163.com
Abstract    Objective    To discuss the safety and feasibility of transanal or vaginal specimen extraction in robotic rectal cancer surgery．Methods    The clinical data of 21 patients who underwent robotic rectal cancer resection with transanal or vaginal specimen extraction from February 2012 to September 2013 in Affiliated Jinlin Hospital of Nanjing University Medicine College were  analyzed retrospectively．Results    There were 21 patients with a mean age of（62.5±7.8）years old，19 of them with transanal specimen extraction，others with vaginal specimen extraction. All the cases underwent robotic surgery successfully with no conversion．The average operative time was （173.6±27.1） min with a mean intraoperative blood loss of （38.7±11.2）mL．The mean number of lymph node harvested was （16.0±1.8）．All the resection margins were negative．The first time to flatus was（1.9±0.4) days postoperatively．The postoperative hospital stay was （4.2±1.3） days．Conclusion    Transanal or vaginal specimen extraction in robotic rectal cancer surgery is safe and feasible with preferable maneuverability and availability.