APR stands for which surgical procedure name?

• A. Abdominoperineal resection
• B. Abdominoperineal colectomy
• C. Abdominal proctectomy
• D. Anterior resection

Answer: (A)

APR stands for Abdominoperineal resection. The name shows that the operation involves removing the rectum and anal canal through both an abdominal approach (abdomino-) and a perineal approach (perineal), i.e., a removal via incisions in the abdomen and the perineum. This is used when very low rectal cancers make preserving the anal sphincter impossible, resulting in a permanent colostomy. It differs from an anterior resection, which removes part of the rectum but preserves the sphincter and connects the bowel ends, and from terms like colectomy or abdominal proctectomy, which describe different procedures or are not the standard name for this combined approach.