Minimal invasive pelvic neuromonitoring - technical demands and requirements

Intraoperative pelvic neuromonitoring based on observation of bladder and internal anal sphincter innervation enabled accurate prediction of urinary and anorectal functional outcome in patients undergoing open low anterior rectal resection for rectal cancer. The developed method could facilitate primary and secondary prevention of functional disturbances associated with surgical damage of pelvic autonomic nerves. The combination with a minimal invasive approach enabled precise identification, visualization and sparing of pelvic neural pathways. This study aimed to ascertain the technical demands and requirements for a minimal invasive pelvic neuromonitoring.