Laparoscopic Surgery or Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery in Treating Patients With Rectal Cancer That Can Be Removed By Surgery

RATIONALE: Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery may be a less invasive type of surgery for rectal cancer and may have fewer side effects and improve recovery. It is not yet known whether robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery is more effective than laparoscopic surgery in treating patients with rectal cancer. PURPOSE: This randomized clinical trial studies robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery to see how well it works compared to laparoscopic surgery in treating patients with rectal cancer that can be removed by surgery.