At a recent GI appointment my specialist mentioned that the growing popularity of robotic procedures for rectal resection will likely increase the incidence of LAR syndrome. He said, "It's likely in the future you're going to have a lot of company." The reasons are that the robotic procedure tends to favor doing a high ligation of the inferior mesenteric artery (where the important nerves are to control the braking reflex after a BM) and also that the robotic instruments allow better removal of lymph nodes, which are also near the critical nerves. Surgeons figure that removing the nodes cuts down on recurrence risk so if it's easy to remove them, why not?
So if you're considering a robotic procedure, be aware of these risks. If an open procedure would allow a low ligation of the IMA, it may be well worth the temporary discomfort to avoid a lifetime of problems later.