Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic-assisted transanal total mesorectal excision （laparoscopic-assisted taTME） on rectal cancer. Methods From May 2019 to May 2021, 34 cases of rectal cancer who underwent laparoscopic total mesorectal excision （TME） were selected as control group, and 46 cases of rectal cancer with taTME were selected as observation group. The clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. Results The operation time, blood loss, length of hospital stay, and incidence rate of postoperative complications in the observation group were significantly less than those in the control group （P<0.05）, and the quality of life in the observation group was better than that in the control group （P<0.05）. There were no significant differences in the total number of lymph nodes dissected, success rate of anal preservation, rate of positive margin resection, time of first postoperative eating, and time of first anal exhaust between the two groups （P>0.05）. Conclusion Laparoscopic-assisted taTME surgery in the treatment of rectal cancer can significantly shorten operation time, reduce important neurovascular injury and postoperative complications, while ensure surgical effect, which is worthy of clinical promotion.