New classification system for radical rectal cancer surgery based on membrane anatomy

Figure 2 The theory of “four fasciae and three spaces” are showed in photograph of operation and hand-drawn diagram. The fascia propria of the rectum, urogenital fascia, vesicohypogastric fascia and parietal fascia form three spaces (medial, middle, and lateral), and blood vessels and nerves are precisely positioned in the fascia or space. A and B: Laparoscopic observation; C: Hand-drawn diagram. TME: Total mesorectal excision; LLND: Lateral lymph node dissection.