Total mesorectal excision (TME) is the gold standard for surgical treatment of rectal cancer. In contrast, whether to add lateral lymph node dissection (LLND) is still controversial worldwide. By reviewing the research literature related to lateral lymph node dissection for rectal cancer in recent years, this paper summarizes the current research status, controversies, surgical techniques and approaches of lateral lymph node dissection, in order to comprehensively discuss the application status of lateral lymph node dissection in rectal cancer, and the research worth in the future. To provide theoretical support and literature reference for the accurate application of lateral lymph node dissection in rectal cancer.