Robotic transanal surgery: perspectives for application

Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) is a surgical technique which allows the local excision of rectal benign tumors and early stage cancers measuring up to 4 cm and lying within 6-8 cm from the anal verge. It is performed by means of a disposable transanal platform and conventional laparoscopic instruments, proving to be effective and easily available. Hence, TAMIS soon became a valid alternative to other transanal resective procedures, especially transanal endoscopic microsurgery, and rapidly spread. Moreover, soon after its introduction, TAMIS started to be performed also using robotic technologies, but no clear advantages were found to date. This review is intended to provide a general overview on TAMIS, with a special focus on its association with robotic systems and the perspectives of this approach.