[citation needed] LARs are for cancer in the proximal (upper) two-thirds of the rectum which lends itself well to resection while leaving the rectal sphincter intact.
[1] LARs, generally, give a better quality of life than abdominoperineal resections (APRs).
[2][3] Thus, LARs are generally the preferred treatment for rectal cancer insofar as this is surgically feasible.
APRs lead to a permanent colostomy and do not spare the sphincters.
[citation needed] Low anterior resection syndrome (LARS) comprises a collection of symptoms mainly affecting patients after surgery for rectal cancer characterized by fecal incontinence (stool and gases), fecal urgency, frequent bowel movements and bowel fragmentation, while some patients only experience constipation and a feeling of incomplete bowel emptying.