What is removed with LAR procedure?

• A. Entire colon
• B. Stomach
• C. Upper portion of the rectum along with the lymph nodes and mesenteric tissue
• D. Anus

Answer: (C)

Low anterior resection aims to remove cancer in the upper or mid rectum while preserving the anal sphincter. The tissue taken includes the upper portion of the rectum plus the surrounding mesorectal tissue, which contains the regional lymph nodes and their blood supply. This combination provides oncologic clearance and supports a safe anastomosis between the remaining colon and rectum, rather than removing the anus or other organs. It does not involve removing the entire colon, the stomach, or the anal canal; those would be seen with other procedures like colectomy, gastrectomy, or abdominoperineal resection, respectively. Therefore, the structure removed in this procedure is the upper rectum along with the lymph nodes and mesenteric tissue.