The surgical anatomy of the fasciae and the fascial spaces related to the rectum.

The perirectal fasciae and their vascular and neural relationships were studied based on the dissection of 46 fresh cadavers. The rectal fascia is a tubular sleeve, areolar in nature, which houses the superior rectal vessels and lymphatics. The nerves which supply fibres to the pelvic plexus run close to the rectum, contained in the urogenital and presacral fasciae. The rectum is attached to these two fasciae by the rectal stalks, which take a spiral course round the rectum, being posterolateral in the upper rectum, lateral in the mid-rectum and anterolateral in the lower rectum. During rectal resection the pelvic nn. may be preserved if the rectal dissection proceeds close to the rectal fascia. After cutting the rectal insertion of the presacral fascia, the lower rectal stalks (paraproctium) come into direct view and can be divided close to the rectal wall with no risk of damage to the pelvic plexus.