[Surgical anatomy of the rectum: technical notes].

To have a good knowledge of pelvic and rectal areas is very important to avoid major complications of the rectal surgery. Important technical points are: posterior dissection in the pre-sacral space: this space can be easily demonstrated performing the separation immediately behind the superior rectal artery and then cutting the recto-sacral fascia. This is the correct procedure to avoid dangerous bleedings too; total dissection of the mesorectum for neoplastic disease; it is possible to apply this technique for benign diseases too with a minimal bleeding and without an increase of lesions of the nervous plexes; lateral dissection, that follows the posterior dissection, is performed very close to the pelvic wall for neoplastic diseases and very close to the rectum for benign diseases; anterior dissection, that is performed before the Denonvillier's fascia for neoplastic diseases and behind it for benign diseases.