Expert consensus on autonomic nerve preservation in radical resection of colorectal cancer (2026 edition)

Avoiding damage to autonomic nerve related to urination, defecation and sexual function in radical resection of rectal cancer is related to patients′ quality of life. Once autonomic nerve injury occurs, there is a lack of effective treatment methods. At present, there is still a lack of clear operational norms or relevant guidelines on how to preserve the autonomic nervous system during the operation. The Colorectal Surgery Group, Society of Surgery, Chinese Medical Association, the Colorectal Cancer Professional Committee, the Colorectal Oncology Branch, Chinese Medical Doctor Association, China Anti‑Cancer Association, and the Colorectal Function Preservation Group, China Sexology Association have organized relevant experts in this field in China to formulate the Expert consensus on autonomic nerve preservation in radical resection of colorectal cancer (2026 edition) based on the incidence of autonomic nerve injury during radical resection of rectal cancer, surgical indications, surgical operation specifications, and artificial intelligence‑assisted nerve recognition, with the aims to standardize the operation of autonomic nerve preservation in radical resection of colorectal cancer, reduce the rate of postoperative urination and sexual dysfunction, and improve patients′ quality of life.