Ernest Miles

Ernest Miles was a British surgeon who developed the abdominoperineal resection (APR) for rectal cancer in 1908, a revolutionary procedure that established surgical cure as possible for rectal malignancies. His anatomical studies of lymphatic drainage of the rectum informed his en-bloc resection approach removing the rectum, anus, and surrounding lymphatics through combined abdominal and perineal approaches. While modern sphincter-preserving surgery has replaced APR for many rectal cancers, Miles' contribution to defining the surgical anatomy and oncological principles of rectal cancer surgery remains foundational.