The crucial aspect of open as well as laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery is to find the correct dissection plane to avoid damage of the nerves and to create a perfect specimen. By doing so, a "specimen oriented" resection will be achieved and the risk of a positive circumferential resection margin minimized. Currently, and for the foreseeable future, open surgery remains optimal for complex cases and in cases where a low difficult restorative resection is needed. Optimal surgery remains a crucial part in the curative treatment of this technically challenging cancer.