目的:研究腹腔镜和开腹手术治疗中低位直肠癌的临床疗效及安全性。方法:选取2011年1月-2013年12月于我院外一科住院治疗的中低位直肠癌的患者110例,根据患者意愿选择手术方式,观察组52例患者采用常规开腹手术治疗,对照组58例患者采用腹腔镜下手术方法治疗,观察并比较两组患者的术中出血量、肠系膜淋巴结清扫个数、肠道功能恢复、住院时间、术后并发症发生率情况。结果:观察组患者在术中出血量、肠系膜淋巴结清扫个数、肠道功能恢复、住院时间方面均显著优于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组并发症发生率明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:腹腔镜下行中低位直肠癌手术根治术具有手术创伤小、术后肠道功能恢复快、患者痛苦小等优点,有效缩短了住院时间,减轻了患者负担,值得在临床推广应用 Objective: To study the clinical efficacy and safety of laparoscopy and laparotomy in the treatment of low and middle rectal cancer. Methods: One hundred and ten patients with low and middle rectal cancer who were hospitalized in our department from January 2011 to December 2013 were enrolled. According to the patients’ wishes and methods of operation, 52 patients in the observation group were treated by conventional laparotomy. The control group Fifty-eight patients were treated by laparoscopic surgery. The intraoperative blood loss, the number of mesenteric lymph nodes, the recovery of intestinal function, the length of hospital stay and the incidence of postoperative complications were observed and compared between the two groups. Results: The bleeding volume, number of mesenteric lymph node dissection, intestinal function recovery and hospital stay in observation group were significantly better than those in control group (P <0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusions: Laparoscopic surgery of low and middle rectal cancer with less surgical trauma, postoperative recovery of intestinal function quickly, the advantages of patients with less pain, effectively shorten the length of stay, reduce the burden on patients, it is worth in the clinical application