The COREAN trial evaluated laparoscopic versus open surgery for patients with mid or low rectal cancer who had already received neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. This is a clinically important setting because irradiated pelvic tissues can make rectal dissection technically challenging, while preservation of the mesorectal envelope is critical for cancer control. The randomized study found that laparoscopic surgery could achieve oncological and surgical outcomes comparable to open surgery in appropriately selected patients after neoadjuvant treatment. The findings added to the evidence that minimally invasive access does not inherently compromise the principles of rectal cancer surgery when performed by experienced teams. For practicing surgeons, the value of COREAN is its emphasis on the complete treatment pathway rather than the operative approach alone. Neoadjuvant therapy, high-quality total mesorectal excision, circumferential resection margin assessment, postoperative recovery and multidisciplinary follow-up all influence outcomes. Laparoscopy therefore fits into a broader standardized pathway rather than functioning as an isolated technical choice. The trial contributed to the evidence base supporting minimally invasive rectal surgery and helped reassure surgeons that difficult post-neoadjuvant pelvic dissection can be performed laparoscopically without abandoning oncological standards.